The Demon Within
by Dumber then a Moogle ass
Summary: When Inuyasha stays with Kagome for Christmas, can he show her his true feelings or will his demon side drive her away?
1. Ch1: Prezents?

Author: Welcome one and all to my first ever, of all time, Inuyasha fanfic! I had lots of fun writing this and I hope that you have lots of fun reading it as well. The one thing that saddens me is that Inuyasha will not ever be, and isn't mine. :( Really I don't own any of the characters, but I really really really am hoping for a certain half demon with puppy ears. (IloveInuyasha)  
  
Inuyasha: Oh sure, you never want me. Only these other stupid people you obsess over! Feh!  
  
Sephiroth: I'm not stupid! *pouts*  
  
Author: *shakes her head* Not again. Sephiroth, get back in your fanfic. Don't make me say it again. And Inuyasha, since when did Sephiroth have dog ears?  
  
Inuyasha: *shrugs* Feh. Wait a minute...............  
  
Author: Sephiroth, I said go home! OR ELSE.  
  
Sephiroth: *eyes go wide* Okay, okay! I'm going! *sticks his tongue out at Inuyasha and disappears*  
  
Author: There. That's better. Now where was I? Ahhh yes. My new fanfiction. Well, all I can ask is that you read my fic, enjoy it, and REVIEW it or Inuyasha will come and wreak havoc upon your world. *ahem*  
  
Inuyasha: *grins* Oooooooo. Havoc. :D  
  
Author: Moving on........  
  
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"Hanyou!" Kagome yelled in frustration. "Get out of that tree and stop spying! Sometimes I think you're worse then Miroku!" Inuyasha simply smirked and glared at her.  
  
"Stupid wench! I wasn't spying! I came to get you, but I didn't want to interrupt your........swim. It's too cold to be in the water anyway. Come on, let's go."  
  
"Oh shut it," Kagome snapped, sick of all his excuses.  
  
"Feh," he shrugged, as if nothing mattered. Kagome shook her head and they walked in silence for awhile. Inuyasha frowned and wondered if anything he ever did would not upset this girl. "Hurry up, wench," he commented over his shoulder, "we need to get going and find more jewel shards before you abandon us for your stupid Krismak."  
  
"It's Christmas," Kagome corrected, "and I have to go home to be with my family. You're supposed to spend it with people that you care about." Inuyasha felt hurt. Didn't she care about him?  
  
Kagome smiled at him. "I'll be checking back in about a week or so and I have presents for you guys before I leave."  
  
"Prezence?" he asked again, hating how interested he sounded.  
  
"You'll see," she smiled.  
  
As they neared Kaede's house, Inuyasha had the sudden urge to tie Kagome to the nearest tree to stop her from leaving. He watched sadly as she dug through her pack and placed some colourful objects on the ground beside it. Didn't she know how much he hated it when she left them? Left him? Of course she didn't, he thought bitterly to himself, all you ever do is insult her and put her down. Why would she want to spend Krismas with you.  
  
Kagome shivered a little at the cool breeze that was starting to blow and glanced up at Inuyasha, who seemed to be deep in thought. He's so cute when he's thinking, she smiled to herself. His smile, on a rare occasion, was even better. Her heart fluttered whenever she was lucky enough to witness it. If Inuyasha ever found out how she truly felt then she was in big trouble. He would probably just mock her and laugh in her face. Kagome sighed. Just being near him sometimes made her knees weak. Oh, how she longed to reach out and touch his long white hair or his soft fuzzy ears. To do so would be welcoming death. She finished unpacking the presents for her friends and grinned as a furry missile came barreling at her. Shippo sniffed excitedly at the colourful packages.  
  
"Are these food?!" he asked eagerly.  
  
"Maybe," Kagome smiled, "but you can't open them until I'm gone." Shippo's face fell and Kagome laughed and hugged him. "I'll bring you some fudge when I come back."  
  
"Fudge? What's that?" Shippo peered up into her face questionably.  
  
"Sweet candy stuff. Like those cookies that I brought you before." Shippo danced around the room in delight and went to jabber to Sango about the good news. Miroku sat in a corner looking quite dejected, no doubt he had just made another advance on Sango and failed miserably, again.  
  
Inuyasha blinked, realizing how long he'd been in thought and strolled over to Kagome acting non-interested when really he was itching with curiosity. "So what's this garbage?" he asked in a bored tone. Kagome knew that he was really intrigued by the glittery packages and smiled at him as he leaned over her. "Oh nothing. Don't worry. I didn't bring anything for you," Kagome teased.  
  
Inuyasha snorted in contempt. "Feh," he muttered at the ground. Seeing his face fall, Kagome put her hand gently on his arm.  
  
"I'm just joking. I would never forget about you Inuyasha." He felt surprised at the comment and a little suspicious when he saw her face going red. Kagome quickly handed him a blue package with little trees all over it and he eyed it warily.  
  
"Um.........what does it do?" he asked carefully, not wanting to hurt her feelings.  
  
"Silly hanyou," she spoke affectionately, "you have to unwrap if first.  
  
"Right. Unwrap.....," he agreed as if he'd known it all along. Inuyasha turned it over and over in his hands, studying it intensely.  
  
"Here," Kagome finally said, when Inuyasha was frustrated enough to chuck the stupid thing at a wall, "I'll help you. Inuyasha felt a shiver go through him as her hands touched his and guided them to rip the paper off what appeared to be a box. His claws easily tore through the paper and he beamed at Kagome, then paused staring at the gift.  
  
"It's a box......"  
  
Kagome laughed and took it from him, opening the top and telling him to look inside. He pulled out a large package of ramen and excitedly tore it open and began devouring it. Kagome stopped him after a minute. "There's more you know."  
  
Inuyasha smiled at her, forgetting himself for a moment and pulled out a piece of paper that had a girl identical to Kagome on it. Kagome blushed. "It's a picture of me, so whenever I go home you'll still be able to see me whenever you want." Inuyasha looked at Kagome and wondered if she knew how much this meant to him.  
  
"Thank-you," he said softly, no hint of sarcasm in his voice.  
  
Shippo came over and started having a hissy fit. "You said we couldn't open our thingies until you went home!" he cried in outrage, "and I wanna open mine!"  
  
Kagome gathered him in her lap and tickled him. "Quit your complaining or you won't get anything," she smiled. Shippo's eyes went wide and he immediately went silent. Instead of risking his chance at getting tasty treats he went over to bother the still sulking Miroku.  
  
Kagome stood and put on her pack, walking over to Sango. "Well, I'm off," she commented brightly and Sango stood up as well and embraced her companionably.  
  
"Don't stay there too long," Sango smiled, "who knows how long I'll be able to survive with these three. Especially when a certain half-demon will be sulking the whole time." Inuyasha shot Sango a dirty look and went outside.  
  
Kagome nodded, "I'll see everyone in a week or so. Maybe less if I'm lucky." After saying her goodbyes to Sango she went and gave Shippo a big bear hug and he clung to her, not wanting her to go yet. Shippo loved Kagome like a mom since his parents had died when he was young and hated it when she left. "Shippo," Kagome whispered softly to him, "I have to go home. Let go now." Shippo sadly released her and Kagome ruffled his hair. "Cheer up. You get to open your presents once I'm gone, remember?" Shippo brightened slightly and pranced off to the pile of gifts, eyeing them carefully.  
  
Last, but not, well, okay, maybe least, was Miroku. Kaede had been gone for a few days now on one of her herb collecting trips and Kagome kind of wished she could find her to say goodbye before she left. Kagome patted Miroku's back and kneeled down beside him. "I'll see you later okay? Try not to piss Sango off too bad while I'm gone." He sniffed sadly and threw his arms around her. Kagome gently pried him off making sure his hands didn't go any lower then her waist.  
  
"Behave yourself," she warned and called a last goodbye as she headed out the door.  
  
She found a very sulky looking Inuyasha waiting for her in a tree outside. A soft snow was beginning to fall and Kagome rubbed her arms, trying to keep the cold out of her school uniform. "Inuyasha. Come down here for a minute," she called to him, getting no response. She hid the hurt that she was feeling. "Come on, Inuyasha. I'm going now. Do you want me to say goodbye or not?"  
  
Still receiving no reply she turned away from him angrily and headed in the direction of the well. Why did he always have to be like this when she was leaving. He had already made her feel guilty about delaying their trip to find more jewel shards, but now he was acting like a spoiled brat.  
  
Inuyasha watched her go and his heart wrenched sadly. Not able to resist himself, he followed Kagome through the trees and dropped down in front of her when she reached the well. "Don't go," he pleaded, blocking her path to the well. She glared at him.  
  
"Oh sure, now you'll talk to me." Inuyasha ignored the venom in her voice and continued to plead her not to go. "Wait one more day, just one more day!" he whined, trying to think of something that would make her not want to leave.  
  
"Oh, grow up!" she snapped, getting frustrated, "you followed me the whole way here just to guilt me into staying and it's not going to work!"  
  
Kagome pushed past him and started for the well again. Inuyasha grabbed onto her arm and pulled her to him. "Don't go! Please!"  
  
"I'll see you in a week," Kagome stated calmly, "now sit boy." Inuyasha crashed head first into the ground and Kagome took that opportunity to jump into the well. Inuyasha rubbed his jaw, feelings deeply hurt, and wished that she would have waited until tomorrow to go. He always hated being alone on the new moon. She knew that as well as he did. And yet she had still left him.  
  
Tonight he would become a weak, pitiful human. All alone. Hanging his head, Inuyasha sat and leaned back against the well, stubbornly, deciding not to move until Kagome returned. Snow drifted down and slowly covered him, but he refused to care. All he wanted was Kagome and if he couldn't have that then he didn't want anything else.  
  
Kagome climbed out of the well, back in her era, and felt guilty for leaving Inuyasha like that. It was the only way to escape though. She ran to the front door, marveling at the thick snow that was falling here as well. After changing into a clean uniform in her room, she went into the kitchen to help her mom with the preparations for Christmas dinner.  
  
"How's Inuyasha?" her mom asked, grinning.  
  
"Oh, he's probably pouting in a tree somewhere because I had to leave him."  
  
Her mom just smiled knowingly. "That boy likes you something fierce. I don't think I'm quite ready for puppy grandchildren though."  
  
Kagome blushed. "Sure mom, sure." Finishing off with stuffing the turkey, Kagome slid it into the preheated oven and began to gather the ingredients for sugar cookies and shortbread. As she mixed and stirred she thought about Inuyasha. Her mom may be way off about his feelings, but she couldn't help but like Inuyasha herself. Christmas wouldn't be the same without him. Maybe if she went back to see if he'd join them.......  
  
Kagome rolled out some dough on the counter she was working on and shook her head. Why would he want to come here? Sota would be overjoyed to see his hero, but Inuyasha most likely preferred his era to hers. Cutting star and tree shapes into the dough she sighed deeply, wishing that for just once she could tell him how she really felt and not have to worry about the consequences. All in good time.  
  
Inuyasha sulked by the well for the rest of the day, staring at the blank whiteness of the snow that covered him. He was soaked completely and didn't care. The mixed emotions inside him tore him apart. Love, anger, frustration, hurt, want, so many things drove him to the conclusion that he needed to see Kagome. Now. How dare she leave him. He should jump through the well and drag that wench back here to do her work like she was supposed to.  
  
He shook his head in defeat and a layer of snow fell to the ground. He looked around, seeing for the first time in awhile. Twilight was just settling over the woods. He shivered, realizing that he was almost completely frozen. If he didn't find warmth soon the result could be fatal. To make matters worse, when he stood he felt a weakness pass through his body. His claws and dog ears shrank into nothing as his hair became black and glossy and his eyes darkened into a deeper brown. No! NO! he thought frantically. His hand raised to his mouth and found his fangs were gone as well. Panic washed over him. Already?! But it wasn't even dark!  
  
I can't even see the moon yet! (AN: Failing to realize that you can't see a "new moon" lol) Irrational thoughts spun through his mind and he knew that his weak human self couldn't withstand the cold much longer. His eyes settled on the well and he peered into it. The bottom was filled with snow, but he knew that if he jumped, Kagome would be on the other side. Making up his mind, he threw himself in.  
  
Kagome proudly packaged all her freshly baked cookies so that they would be ready for the next day and tiredly went to her room and stripped off her clothes. Grabbing two towels from her linen closet, she was unaware of a presence lurking under her window. Kagome went into her bathroom and stepped into the warm, soothing water, letting it flow over her weary body. Showers always felt great after coming back from fighting demons and who knows what else.  
  
Inuyasha weakly pulled himself out of the well and flopped onto the floor beside it. Pushing himself to his feet he slowly made his way through the snow, over to Kagome's window. If took all of his remaining strength to lift himself up onto the window ledge and fall through to the inside. He landed with a crunch, on her floor. "Owwww......," he moaned painfully and managed to shut the window against the cold outside. Inuyasha cocked his head at the sound of running water and breathed in the wonderful scent of Kagome's room. Everything smelled like her.  
  
He hated the way being human took away his senses. His eyes dimmed, his sense of smell was dulled and he couldn't sense a demon if his life depended on it. Laying back on Kagome's bed, he tried to stop his uncontrollable shaking and curled up into a little ball. Inuyasha was so cold that he couldn't feel his body anymore and felt the world spinning as he slipped into unconsciousness.  
  
After finishing her shower, Kagome stepped out onto the bath mat and wrapped a towel around herself while she dried and brushed her hair. Going back into her dark room she quickly put on her pajamas and climbed into bed. When she tried to pull her blankets up, Kagome realized something cold and heavy was weighing them down. Suppressing a scream she quickly switched on her lamp. Relief washed over her when she saw that it was only Inuyasha. Immediately noticing his dark hair, lack of fangs and dog ears, etc. she felt horrible.  
  
Kagome had completely forgotten that tonight was the new moon. Poor Inuyasha. No wonder he hadn't wanted her to leave. Strangely enough he looked peaceful and innocent when he slept. Normally he would stand guard at whichever camp they happened to be at, at the time. She never really saw him sleep. Unable to resist the urge, Kagome ran her fingers through the long silky black hair flowing over her pillow. He was so cold! On closer inspection she noticed that his lips and cheeks were tinged with a purple- blue colour and he was shivering.  
  
Inuyasha stirred under her touch and opened his eyes, looking at her. Embarrassed that Kagome had caught him in her bed he made a visible effort to move and fell to the floor instead. He weakly pushed himself to a sitting position and felt someone behind him holding him up. "Well, you've really done a number on yourself this time," Kagome smiled when he turned his head towards her. He glared at her and hid his relief he was finally with her again. Somehow, Kagome helped take away his fear of being human.  
  
He watched her prop him up and tuck her hair behind her ears. She grabbed a book from her bedside table hoping Inuyasha wouldn't notice how much she had enjoyed holding him and jumped onto her bed to read, trying to hide her embarrassment.  
  
Inuyasha could see an intense look come into her eyes which meant she was in complete focus on something. Hiding a smile, he lay down on the carpeted floor and watched her read. He loved the way she bit her lip when she was deep in thought or the way her hair fell into her face and she absentmindedly kept brushing it back. How he yearned to gently brush away the hair from her face and sample those lips for himself. Prying his eyes away from her, he shivered and sighed.  
  
She would find someone someday that would make her laugh and smile, make her happy. Then what? He'd be out of the picture and be left all alone to find the remaining jewel shards. Truly, he would like to tear anyone who looked at Kagome with more then a vague interest into a thousand tiny shreds. Jealous? Yes. Extremely. Maybe if he told her that he never really means it when he insults her......  
  
He yelped in fear as the room went dark. Kagome giggled. "Sorry Inuyasha. I know you already had a nap, but I'm human and I need sleep." Inuyasha shook his head and then felt silly, realizing she couldn't see him.  
  
"Feh," he smirked, "you know, I'm pretty much human too right now."  
  
Kagome was silent for a moment. "Inuyasha?" she said softly.  
  
"What?" he inquired, worried at the tone of her voice, "you okay?"  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Her words quivered as though she was about to cry. "Sorry?" Inuyasha repeated back to her, "for what? Being beautiful?" Kagome didn't even smile and Inuyasha knew something was up.  
  
"I forgot all about the new moon. I shouldn't have just left you alone like that. I mean, look at you. You're colder then the snow outside and your skin's almost blue. Besides, I know how scared you get."  
  
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Hey! I do not!" Kagome didn't argue and he felt like a jerk for yelling.  
  
"Um, Kagome?"  
  
He heard her body shift to face him, but his back was to the bed anyway. He was grateful for that. He didn't want her to see his face right now. "Look. Don't be sorry, okay? I deserve to be alone." He felt a hand on his back and a sad voice spoke from behind him.  
  
"Oh, Inuyasha. No one deserves to be completely alone." Neither of them spoke for a moment as they both struggled with hidden feelings that threatened to expose themselves. Kagome slid her hands to Inuyasha's shoulders and massaged lightly, knowing that, although he would never admit it, he loved it when she did that. She frowned at the coldness she could feel through his clothing and rubbed his back as well, trying to warm him up.  
  
Inuyasha almost melted under Kagome's touch and wished she would stop so he could keep his urge to pounce on her under control. He instantly regretted his last thought when she did stop. "You don't have to sleep on the floor you know," Kagome remarked, shifting under the covers to get comfortable.  
  
"Where else would I sleep?" Inuyasha retorted, shivering from the cold, "are you trying to tell me to leave?"  
  
Kagome smiled. "Well, I was going to let you have part of the bed, but if you'd be happier outside then I guess,"  
  
"No! Wait!" Inuyasha interrupted frantically, "I never said that!" He was grateful for the dark as he felt all the blood rushing to his face. God, I'm an idiot, he thought inwardly. Kagome shifted to the side and yawned as Inuyasha climbed under the covers next to her. Moving closer, she felt his arm and he jerked away, surprised.  
  
"What are you up to under there?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Kagome laughed and pressed herself against him.  
  
"You're just so cold. I'm trying to warm you up."  
  
"Oh," he grinned, "no worries then." Inuyasha could feel all the heat radiating off her and suddenly sneezed. He shook his head and Kagome felt his forehead.  
  
"You may be getting sick," she commented with a frown, "no more snow for you."  
  
Kagome laid back down again and enjoying the closeness of his body next to hers, she fell asleep almost instantly. Inuyasha on the other hand was wide awake. After hearing Kagome's breathing become steady and softer he moved closer. Her scent drove him insane as he leaned over her, peering in her face to make sure she was sleeping. Breathing in deeply he shuddered, partially from enjoyment and partially from fear of being caught. A few hours passed by and Inuyasha grew tired of having to fight himself and his feelings and slumped down on the pillow.  
  
He cautiously draped his arm over Kagome's waist, being careful not to wake her and pulled her warm body closer to him. If he hadn't been freezing he wouldn't have dared to touch her. Inuyasha grinned, remembering Kagome's earlier comment about him being like Miroku. He shook his head. "If I were Miroku I'd be doing a lot more then trying to keep warm. That's for sure." Nuzzling into Kagome's neck, Inuyasha drifted off to sleep.  
  
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Author: Well, that was quite the interesting chapter. Was it not? I thought so. Please please please review so I can post post post the next chapter. I have it half finished already, but I'm not posting anything unless five people enjoy and review this story. I mean what's the point in wasting fanfiction's space if no one likes it..... *sniffs sadly* You do like it right?  
  
Sephiroth: I like your story! Don't cry! *pats author's back*  
  
Inuyasha: Yes! Please review! Last time she got really upset and I had to comfort her......... *shudders*  
  
Sephiroth: I don't mind. *grins*  
  
Author: *hugs Sephiroth* Awwww, thanx Sephy. Wait! You aren't supposed to be here!  
  
Sephiroth: *eyes shift back and forth* You don't know that.  
  
Author: I'm very grateful to all my adoring and non-adoring fans and I love you all! Thanx for reading. *whacks Inuyasha with a pole before he can lunge at Sephiroth* Cut it out you two! Don't forget to R & R!!! :D See ya soon. 


	2. Ch2: NOOO! Back off! Get your own Kagome...

Author: Yayayayay! We're on the second chapter! I mean, I know that's not very far, but whatever and I think I'll stop babbling now. Oh. Right. I do not own Inuyasha (yah, just rub it in why dontcha) or Sephiroth or any of the other characters in this story. If I did then I would be filthy rich and I probably wouldn't be writing stories on fanfiction. lol. If that is for better or for worse, you can decide. Also, please forgive me for the slow updates because not only do I have a heavy workload from school, I also have to work (Chuck E. Cheese!!! :D) and I don't have the internet at home. I'll try and update as soon as I possibly can for each chapter.  
  
Inuyasha: *growls* God, I'm so pathetic in your story. I am not whiny and vulnerable when I'm human!  
  
Author: *smiles* Sure you're not........  
  
Inuyasha: *raises an eyebrow* Back off! I said no last night and I still say no today!  
  
Author: *laughs evilly* You can't resist forever.  
  
Inuyasha: *runs away screaming for help with Author chasing after him*  
  
Random demon: Hello. Good day to you all. I have been told by an anonymous source to inform you that this fanfic is going to start now. Thank you and have a nice day. *poof* (disappears)  
  
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Last Chapter: (Nuzzling into Kagome's neck, Inuyasha drifted off to sleep.)  
  
Kagome woke up feeling refreshed and tried to stretch her arms, but found them trapped under a large heavy object.  
  
"What the?" she uttered confused. Spitting out a mouthful of white, silky hair she sighed, "oh. Right." She grinned to herself seeing that Inuyasha was curled up against her and he had his arms tightly around her waist. She'd have to remind him of this the next time he was being a jerk. It was weird how right it felt to wake up in his arms. Kagome closed her eyes and leaned her head on Inuyasha chest. His eyes shot open and he looked around, disoriented.  
  
Where am I? he wondered. He was about to sit up but noticed Kagome was on top of him. He jerked his arms away, hoping she didn't know that they had been like that all night. She lifted her head and propped her chin on his chest to look at him. There faces were only inches away and Inuyasha could smell sweet scents drifting in his direction. Breathing in deeply, Inuyasha fought himself and hoped he wouldn't regret later (A/N: or would he? lol) and his claws dug into his palms. Claws?  
  
He glanced down at his hands and saw his sharp talons had returned. I'm demon again! he realized and shoved Kagome over to the side of the bed. "Get off me wench!" he snapped, instantly regretting how harsh he sounded. She angrily shoved him off the bed and he crashed loudly to the floor.  
  
"If you're going to be a jerk then go sleep in the doghouse where you belong!"  
  
Inuyasha fumbled for words, but no reply came to mind. "Feh," he muttered in defeat. He sat down, crossing his legs, and tucked his arms into his sleeves.  
  
"So how long does this Christmas thing go for anyway?" he demanded. Kagome glared at him. What had happened? Geez. He was so grumpy.  
  
"If you dislike it so much then go home," she snapped, equally mean. Instead of speaking, Inuyasha simply hopped up and stalked over to the window. Banging it open he jumped out and headed for a tree in her backyard. His pride prevented him from staying in Kagome's room, but he desperately wanted to be with her. He couldn't go back home yet. Why did every word that came out of his mouth sound so nasty? He sighed and angrily hacked at a random branch with his claws.  
  
Kagome tried not to cry and banged open her dresser drawers to release her rage. She dug through her unfolded clothing and pulled out a tight fuzzy, forest, green sweater and form fitting black jeans. Sighing deeply as she dressed, she wondered if Inuyasha would ever be nice to her. He never seemed to realize how she felt about him. But then, she never showed it either. Kagome inspected herself in the mirror and nodded with a small smile. These would do. She added a holly pin and it seemed to complete the outfit, making it look just right.  
  
She heard a knock at her front door and a minute later her mom yelled down the hall. "Kagome! Hogo's here to see you!" Groaning, Kagome quickly ran her brush through her hair and headed out to the front door. An eager looking Hogo awaited her with a beautifully wrapped gift in his arms. Proudly, he held it out to her and smiled handsomely. Kagome blushed, realizing she had nothing for him and stepped to the side of the door.  
  
"Um....Hogo? Do you want to come inside for awhile?" she asked shyly. Hogo nodded eagerly and followed her into the living room.  
  
Inuyasha watched from his cold perch as a pitiful looking human ran through the falling snow and up to Kagome's front door holding one of those present things. He felt jealously stir inside him when Kagome came to the door, looking surprised, and let the guy in. This human obviously had a strong attractive to Kagome. You could just tell by the way he looked at her. He wasn't about to let any human upstage him, that's for sure. Growling, he ducked back into Kagome's window and peered out her door. No one was insight and he snuck along the wall, spying on the young pair in the living room.  
  
Hogo put the present in Kagome's lap and she delicately undid the tape that was holding the paper in place and put it to the side. She laughed when she found another layer underneath. Hogo grinned like an idiot.  
  
"I may have over-wrapped it a little." They shared a smile and after a few more unwrapping episodes Kagome reached a rectangle box. She opened it curiously and gasped at a beautiful jade necklace that glittered back at her. Hogo reached forward and took it from the jewelry box and put his arms around her neck to clasp it behind her. His face lingered in front of her a moment before he pulled back and smiled. Kagome fingered the beautiful chain and frowned.  
  
"Hogo, I can't accept this. And I feel so guilty. I don't have anything for you." Hogo shrugged.  
  
"S'okay. I wasn't expecting anything. I just like to see you happy. Maybe you'll let me take you to a movie sometime as repayment." Kagome blushed, still reluctant to accept the gift and Hogo stood happily. "Well, I better be on my way now. My mom's expecting me home for dinner." Nodding, Kagome walked him to the door. Hogo hesitated, then leaned in, kissing her lightly. "Merry Christmas," he whispered, face slightly red from embarrassment after pulling back.  
  
Kagome stood speechless and touched her fingers to her lips in shock. Hogo started out the door, leaving a dazed looking Kagome behind. "Hogo," she breathed, touching his arm to stop him. He turned, fear in his eyes.  
  
"I know," he sighed, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that....."  
  
Kagome shook her head, "it's not that. I just...."  
  
"No. I understand," he interrupted her sadly.  
  
"No. You don't," Kagome cut in, "you're not letting me talk." Hogo smiled slightly.  
  
"I know I don't stand a chance against whomever it is you daydream about when your eyes glaze over and you smile at nothing. The only thing I could do was try. I know what I did was selfish, but I also knew that you wouldn't kiss me any other way..."  
  
"Oh, Hogo," Kagome sighed. Engulfing him in a hug, she shook her head in sympathy. How could she be so blind? Hogo had liked her all along and all she could do was want Inuyasha. She pulled back and kissed Hogo's cheek in a friendly gesture. "You'll always be my friend," she smiled, "and you're awesome at it. I know you'll always be there for when I need you." Hogo smiled halfheartedly.  
  
"I will. And when the lucky guy finds out about your daydreaming, let me know. I'll congratulate him. Maybe he'll tell me what his secret." Kagome shook her head.  
  
"You just keep thinking that, Hogo," she teased.  
  
"See ya." he sighed. And with that, he was gone. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief to have that over with and felt a twinge of guilt that she still had the necklace around her neck. I'll return it later, she reassured herself.  
  
Inuyasha had barely stopped himself from ripping the boy limb from limb when he kissed Kagome. He growled deeply in the back of his throat. Retreating back to Kagome's room he climbed out the window and waited for his chance. He watched the human walk down the path from Kagome's house, leaving deep footprints, and felt his anger rising. With a loud snarl he ran over to he leapt over to Hogo and grabbed him by the shirt. Hogo's eyes went wide with surprise and he grabbed Inuyasha's hands, trying to free himself.  
  
"Please," he squeaked, "don't hurt me! I'm sorry! Whatever I did, I'm sorry!" Inuyasha growled and dropped him in disgust.  
  
"Stay away from Kagome. You hear me?!" he threatened, flexing his claws.  
  
Hogo's look went from fear, to disbelief, to acceptance. "So you're the one," he said quietly from his snowdrift. He painfully pushed himself up and brushed snow from his clothes. He grasped Inuyasha's hand and shook it briefly. "Good luck. Don't mess up like me." Hogo seemed oblivious to the strange person who had roughed him up as he walked away in a sad stupor.  
  
What had just happened? What did he mean by 'the one'? He frowned at the retreating form and kicked at the snow. Stupid human! Glaring at nothing in particular he climbed back into his tree, shivering from cold. I hate humans! I hate snow! Muttering to himself, he watched Kagome through her window, playing with the cat.  
  
"Come on Buyo! Get the string! Get it kitty!" Kagome laughed at the cat's lazy attempts to capture the string dangling from her fingers. Trying to forget all the things that had gone wrong with the day she focused on the cat and other non-related-to-delicate-matter-things. It was Christmas Eve tonight and she had to be in a festive mood. Everyone had gone last minute shopping and she was at home by herself since Hogo left. Dinner wouldn't be for a good four hours and she didn't expect anyone home until then. So much time to kill.  
  
Noises at the window alerted her and she glanced up to see a shivering Inuyasha climbing through her window. "What do you want?" she said, standing up and placing her hands on her hips.  
  
Inuyasha could hear the hurt in her voice and see it in her eyes. I'm such a jerk, he thought to himself. "I'm sorry," he simply replied. Kagome looked at him suspiciously and frowned. Inuyasha never apologized for anything.  
  
All of a sudden Inuyasha's eyes widened and he seemed to do a double take. "What are you wearing," he asked with his mouth hanging open. He circled around her inspecting the new outfit. She blushed at the way he was looking at her.  
  
"I know it's different, but I wanted to be festive and stuff so.....yah. It's green...."  
  
Inuyasha eyed her new clothing with interest. It certainly showed off her figure nicely. The jade necklace was a beautiful addition, as much as he hated to admit it. "I like it," he grinned. Kagome shook her head and sighed, sitting on the bed next to her now sleeping kitty. Petting Buyo gently she felt Inuyasha's eyes on her.  
  
"Who was that human?" Inuyasha asked innocently. She felt her cheek redden and shrugged casually.  
  
"Just a friend from school," she replied hastily. Inuyasha nodded slowly.  
  
"Oh."  
  
An awkward silence followed and Inuyasha suddenly seemed very interested in Kagome's wallpaper.  
  
"Do you want to make a snowman?" Kagome blurted out, saying the first thing that came to mind.  
  
"A what?" Kagome smiled at the cute way he cocked his head to the side and jumped up from the bed, grabbing his hand.  
  
"Come on! I'll show you!" Kagome dragged Inuyasha into the front hall and put on a warm jacket and mittens and put a spare jacket on Inuyasha. She looked him up and down and giggled. Pink was not his colour. Realizing his bare feet weren't really a good idea, she forced him into a pair of Sota's boots after much arguing and fighting.  
  
She finished by dragging him outside and left him on the front steps, pouting like a little kid. He hated shoes. Snow fell softly as she rolled a snowball in her hands and began pushing it around the yard to gather snow and form the base. Inuyasha watched her in interest and when she was done she had a giant ball of snow.  
  
"Um?" he asked a little confused, "is there a point to this?"  
  
"Now you make one!" she giggled. Kagome showed him how to pack snow into a ball and he began to push it around the yard, feeling quite foolish. She told him when to stop and instructed him to place it on top of the other one. He watched her make one more smaller ball and plunk it on top.  
  
"Now," she said in a satisfied tone, "all we need is a face and arms." Inuyasha gave her a look that clearly said 'you're insane' and she caught him off guard, face washing him with a snowball.  
  
Inuyasha stood blinking against the whiteness for a minute then growled. Kagome ran away laughing and he made another snowball like she had shown him. Aiming for her back, he sent it flying and she tried to duck, getting snow all over her head. Inuyasha grinned evilly, getting the hang of it and began missile firing snowballs by the second. Kagome laughed helplessly and ran behind the tree to escape his barrage of snowballs coming her way.  
  
He smugly walked towards her and she threw a snowball at him. Smirking, he watched it miss him by a mile and hit a branch over his head. "Missed!" he yelled triumphantly at her. A large drift of snow fell from the branch onto his head. Kagome giggled wildly, trying desperately not to burst out laughing again and ran for it when she saw his face.  
  
She didn't make it very far before Inuyasha tackled her down in the snow. Hearing warm laughter she looked at him in shock. Inuyasha rarely laughed in an un-cruel way and the way his face lit up was adorable. She tried to push him off, but he was too strong for her. Scooping up some snow, she stuffed it down his back and he yelped while she laughed.  
  
"You haven't won yet," Inuyasha growled jokingly and pinned Kagome to the ground. She struggled helplessly, but Inuyasha had her arms pinned firmly down. Cackling evilly he let go of one of her arms and tickled her. Kagome laughed until tears ran down her cheeks and she was gasping for air.  
  
"Knock......it.....off!" she breathed, in between bursts of laughter. Inuyasha smiled down at her and she blushed, realizing he was on top of her. She could feel the cool wetness of snow starting to seep into the back of her sweater through the jacket. Clearing her throat she gave Inuyasha a look. Ignoring her he leaned down closer to her face. He was so close their lips were almost brushing against each other.  
  
"Kagome........," Inuyasha whispered nervously....................  
  
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Author: Well, there you have it. The long overdue second chapter of *corny theme music* my Inuyasha fic! I hope you guys liked it and I really must apologize about the cliffhanger. *grins evilly* Yes.....apologize....... :P  
  
Inuyasha: *swearing under his breath* Bloody cliffhangers! Now I have to wait until next chapter to find out what happens!  
  
Author: Umm......don't you already know?  
  
Inuyasha: *smiles happily* Oh yah!  
  
Author: *shakes her head* I hope you all appreciate what I go through for you. I had to neglect homework to finally type this up and post it. Now I'll fail school and have to work at McDonalds for the rest of my life. lol. Seriously though, I know the updating is a little slow, but I have no internet etc. and I feel really guilty. *falls to her knees* Forgive me!  
  
Sephiroth: *sneaks into the author's notes to make his at least once a chapter appearance* *huggles author and runs away*  
  
Author: The hell? Anyway......pleasepleaseplease review! I'd be really grateful and I'll try to post the next chapter faster then this one was. I already wrote it I just have to type it. Alrighty? Alrighty then. Also, if you're interested please check out 'Five Years Later' my other fic at the moment.  
  
Inuyasha: Tsk tsk. Advertising in your author's notes. For shame.  
  
Author: *hangs head* I'm sorry. But seriously. If you want to then go read it. :D  
  
Inuyasha: *sighs pitifully* Kill me. Just kill me. Anyone????!!!!  
  
Author: See ya next chapter!!!! (Did I mention you should review?) :P If you guys can give me another five reviews then I'll give you another chapter! (I know I got more then five reviews for Chapter one, but I'm the author and I say those don't count. Lol) Thanx everyone. 


	3. Ch3: To lemon or not to lemon? That is t...

Author: Hello there! This is the.............hmmmmm......third chapter I believe, is it not? Yah, that's it! Third. Okay here we go. ::takes a deep breath::  
  
Inuyasha: I have nothing to say to you! ::crosses arms and walks away::  
  
Author: ::calls him back:: I said I was sorry! I won't do it again! I promise.......  
  
Inuyasha: ::is gone::  
  
Author: ::stick out her tongue:: Well fine then! I'll do this chapter on my own! Who's need you, you stupid Hanyou!! ::sighs::  
  
Sesshoumaru: ::smiles charmingly as he appears in a puff of smoke:: Hello. I heard you were hiring. ::holds out an imaginary newspaper::  
  
Author: ::reads imaginary job ad section and sees her ad asking for someone with long platinum hair, 'hello there' looks, and a good body:: Ahhhh, yes. You're perfect! All right then. For your first trick I need you to do the disclaimer.  
  
Sesshoumaru: ::strikes a pose:: Done, done and done! ::ahem:: The author does not own, claim to own, pretend to own (well.......:P), or lay claim to any of the characters in this story in any way or form. This has been an ashnat productions public safety announcement.  
  
Author: ::shakes her head:: Stupid! What are you doing?!  
  
Sesshoumaru: ::shows her his script:: This is the one the people at the employment agency gave me. I swear.  
  
Author: YOU'RE FIRED! GET OUT!  
  
Sesshoumaru: ::cries and runs away:: Nooooooo! My one shot at becoming a celebrity, GONE!!!!!!!!!!! WAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  
  
Author: ::adjusts her jacket and smoothes down her hair:: Well, anyway, I'm hoping that you all enjoyed my last chapter and that you REVIEWED. For those of you who weren't kind enough to tell me what you thought, well, STOP READING!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO BACK TO THE LAST CHAPTER! WHY ARE YOU STILL READING! DAMN YOU! NO! STOP! SERIOUSLY! I MEAN IT!!!! GO BACK AND REVIEW!  
  
Inuyasha: ::comes back with a bowl of ramen:: That time of the month, eh?  
  
Author: ::turns on him:: YOU!  
  
Inuyasha: ::cowers:: Sorry, sorry. I'll be good.  
  
Author: ::breathes heavily:: You better be. ::smiles and becomes annoyingly happy again:: As I was saying, I love you all and I appreciate all your comments and reviews (I don't know if I spelled Hogo wrong, but thanks. I'll look into that. I have a manga somewhere.......Aha! There it is! looks up Hogo's name ..........oops. Hojo. Well. ::ahem:: Sorry 'bout that.) I hope you all stay my devoted fans ::shakes her head:: If it's possible to be of fan of my writing, but whatever. I feel like writing now so I'll do just that. Enjoy! :D  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
(Clearing her throat she gave Inuyasha a look. Ignoring her he leaned down closer to her face. He was so close their lips were almost brushing against each other.  
  
"Kagome........," Inuyasha whispered nervously....................)  
  
Kagome could feel her cheeks going red and when Inuyasha finally went for it she turned her head to the side, feeling his lips softly graze her cheek. "Inuyasha," she managed to choke out, somehow feeling that this was wrong, "Inuyasha, please.........let me up." He ashamedly stood and helped her up. She could feel his hand shaking and wondered if he was really that cold. Wrapping her arms around herself she watched his bright red face and couldn't help but smile. He was so cute when he blushed.  
  
Inuyasha felt confused. He thought she liked him. At least maybe a little.... But why had she moved away? He scowled at his own stupidity and crossed his arms across his chest, pouting like a little kid. (A/N: awwwww. huggles) He felt that he shouldn't be too surprised. She and that whiny human deserved each other.  
  
Kagome watched Inuyasha's face change as he seemed to be having an inner conflict and wondered if she should break the silence. 'Why couldn't you just kiss him you stupid girl!' she scolded herself. He finally does something that hints towards him liking her and she shoves him away. Way to go. She sighed heavily and Inuyasha seemed to come back to reality.  
  
"Well........um, it's......it's kinda cold......," he stuttered awkwardly, feeling slightly depressed, "maybe we should....."  
  
His words were cut off as Kagome stepped forward, on impulse, and pulled his face down to hers. His arms automatically went around her waist. It didn't take him long to respond as he pulled her in, deepening the kiss. He was completely in shock at her actions. This wasn't at all what he had expected. All the scenarios in his mind of their first kiss involved lots of physical and verbal abuse ending with a 'sit boy'. He felt as though they were locked together and time slowed, letting him enjoy each and every second.  
  
Their kiss broke and both gasped for air. It didn't take Inuyasha long to come back for more and Kagome was surprised to find that somehow they had ended up in the snow again. Kagome pulled back and held him at a distance, not trusting herself.  
  
"What exactly are we doing?" she asked softly. Inuyasha looked confused and tried to lean closer again.  
  
"Well, I don't know about you, but I assumed we were kissing," he smirked. Kagome sighed slightly in exasperation and Inuyasha rolled to the side and jumped up. "What? I'm not good enough for you?! You want your pathetic 'school friend' to come back? Is that it?!"  
  
"You were spying on me?!" Kagome yelled accusingly. Inuyasha smirked and crossed his arms. His mind was screaming 'stop before it's too late you moron' but, as usual, he ignored his common sense.  
  
"Well, maybe if you didn't have fun with every guy that passes through your front door then I would have to." Kagome went red and pushed herself up, angry and embarrassed.  
  
"Shutup!" she snapped and slapped him loudly across the face. "You never cared before and you shouldn't care now! All you ever do is go crawling back to Kikyo! At least Hojo like me the way I am, not because I look like his ex! She'll never love you and all you can do is grovel and beg her to take you back! I'm sick of trying to win your affections for myself! When was the last time you actually saw ME?!"  
  
Inuyasha cowered back from the angry girl, holding his face. 'Baka!' he cursed inwardly, 'you just couldn't shutup could you?'  
  
"Kagome........," he whispered, trying to word an apology.  
  
"It's not fair," she spoke quietly, more to herself now. "Kikyo wins no matter what I do. You don't even see me. Even if I love........." Her words trailed off, unfinished, and her voice quivered with a long hidden pain. Feeling tears well up in her eyes, Kagome turned her back to Inuyasha.  
  
He gently touched her back, but she shrugged him off and ran into the house. Inuyasha stood speechless and his mind was a blur of thoughts. 'She actually cares about me?' Inuyasha thought with wonder. But why? I don't deserve any kindness after the way I treat her. I......I guess I act that way so she won't like me and I can't hurt her. Well that crappy plan sure worked!  
  
He sighed loudly and brushed the melting snow off of himself. "I should have shut my mouth when I had the chance," he admitted to the half-finished snowman. It didn't respond, but he knew he was a jerk whether or not anyone told him he was. "I have to make it up to her......."  
  
Inuyasha took a deep breath and headed indoors. He stopped and studied the clock thing Kagome had taught him to read. 3:00? He knew how to read the stupid thing, but what was the point? It was useless. Just like him.  
  
It seemed like all he had been doing for the past couple days is screwing up and apologizing. Women are so confusing! Bloody hell! One minute they're all over you and the next they're questioning YOUR motives. She kissed ME godamnit! Snarling in frustration, he kicked the edge of the couch and cautiously headed for Kagome's room. He could hear muffled sobs on the other side and felt extremely guilty. Why do I always do the wrong thing?!  
  
Taking one last deep breath, Inuyasha pushed open the door and stood awkwardly by the bed watching Kagome cry. Her head was buried in the pillow and she was hugging it tightly. His heart wretched painfully and he hated that he as doing this to her. He placed a gentle hand on her back and Kagome's head jerked up towards him, revealing her tear-stained face.  
  
She glared at him, her beautiful eyes filling with more tears. The sorrowful look she was giving him drove him crazy. He wanted to scream 'I'm sorry!' until his throat was hoarse. He couldn't stand it any longer and drew her into a tight hug, trying desperately not to lose control of his own emotions.  
  
Fighting against him at first, Kagome finally surrendered and let him hold her. If would have been comforting if it weren't for the fact that Inuyasha was the cause of her pain in the first place. Kagome felt hurt and angry. Why would he, no, how could he come in here like this after being such a prick?! Pushing him back, she looked at him with questioning eyes.  
  
Inuyasha knew she was waiting for him to say something, anything, but looking into her eyes took his words away.  
  
"I.....," he choked on his words, "I.......don't know how to word what I'm feeling........" Kagome gave him a strange look and her eyes drifted down to the floor. A small gasped escaped her lips when he pulled her face up to his and kissed her deeply. She knew what he was trying to say. It was the same thing she had been hiding from him for a long time. Or at least, that's what she wanted to believe. Her body began to respond without her, knowing how she really felt, even if she wouldn't admit it. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer.  
  
He moved and adjusted himself so she was gathered up in his lap and kissed her greedily. Kagome retaliated accordingly and both had to stop for a moment to breathe, locked in a passionate embrace.  
  
"I love you......," he murmured against her lips. Kagome's mind reeled with a million thoughts at once and she felt more tears running down her face.  
  
"Do you have any idea how long I've been hoping to hear those words?!" she whispered fiercely, "I love you so much! Stupid hanyou!"  
  
Inuyasha wasn't sure if she was angry with him or just upset that he didn't tell her sooner. His fingers entwined in her hair as he pulled her back to him. Inuyasha couldn't stop kissing her and he knew that, because of how strongly he felt for her at the moment, that if his demon side took over it could be dangerous. His kisses burned down her neck and Kagome felt Inuyasha's warm hands slid up the back of her shirt, pulling her as close as humanly possible.  
  
When she opened her eyes, she could see Inuyasha's eyes burning into hers, begging her to make him stop. Untangling herself from him, she held him back and noticed with concern that his golden eyes were tinged with red. He growled and tried to pull her back to him.  
  
"No!" she yelped, trying to keep his hands from going wherever they pleased. He threw himself off the bed and held his head in his hands until the feelings passed. Inuyasha's whole body shook with longing, but he wasn't going to let himself take her like this. 'NO!' he mentally screamed.  
  
Kagome knelt down beside him and stroked his hair. When he finally looked up at her, she was relieved to see his eyes were back to normal. "You alright?" Kagome asked with concern. He simply nodded and trembled under her touch.  
  
"Please.....I'm sorry.....forgive me. I get......a little carried away....sometimes......" Kagome heard a door slam and jumped in surprise. Her mom must be home early. Quickly shoving Inuyasha into a chair by her desk, she headed down the hall, into the living room and smiled innocently at her mother.  
  
"Hi mom! You're home early!" Her mother gave her a suspicious look and reached out to feel her forehead. "Honey, your burning up and your all flushed. Are you feeling all right? Your hair could use a brush too." Kagome shook her head.  
  
"I'm fine," she lied. Her mom shrugged and continued to watch her carefully. "I finished all my shopping early and I still have a few things to do around the house. Oh, which reminds me, is Inuyasha staying for dinner?"  
  
"I think so....." Kagome replied, knowing that she probably couldn't get him to leave now if she wanted to. "Well you two go do whatever it is that teenagers do in their spare time and I'll call you when everyone is back and dinner is ready."  
  
"Kay, mom. Thanks."  
  
Hurrying back to her room, her looked around in confusion. Where was Inuyasha? The door shut behind her and she turned to see a grinning Inuyasha staring at her. "Hey!" she giggled when he scooped her up effortlessly into his arms and carried her to the bed. "Put me down!"  
  
"I was planning on it," he smiled seductively. Kissing her neck, he laid her down on the bed and she swatted him away, laughing. Inuyasha pouted and half-heartedly tried to grab her back again. She dodged his attack and hopped to her feet.  
  
"Do you want to go for a walk or something?" Kagome asked, still resisting his feeble attempts. "I'll go for the 'something'," he grinned. Kagome shook her head and Inuyasha watched her grab her jacket from a chair. "Come on, lazy!" Moping, he dragged himself behind her.  
  
500 years in the past  
  
Shippo jumped up and down on Miroku's head until he woke up groaning. "Shippo! Knock it off!" Shippo pulled on his hair impatiently.  
  
"Come on! I wanna find Kagome and Inuyasha! I wanna go now!" Rolling over, Miroku glared at him. "Couldn't this wait until morning? Or afternoon?" Shippo pouted sadly, but they've been gone for three days now....." Miroku sighed and glanced over at Sango's sleeping form.  
  
"Go bother her. I'm sure Sango will help you." Shippo whined and poked at Miroku until he was ready to go insane. "FINE! I'll help you find them!" Dancing around happily, Shippo jumped on Sango accidentally and she jerked awake, ready to kill Miroku.  
  
"Oh. It's you," she said smiling at Shippo. She hugged the excited kitsune and looked questioningly at Miroku. Miroku just shook his head. Sango got up, stretching and yawning loudly. "So what's up?"  
  
"We're gonna find Inuyasha!" Shippo squealed happily. Sango shot Miroku a 'you handle this' look and he simply smirked at her. A loud sighed escaped her lips.  
  
"All right. Get your stuff and we'll head out when you're ready." Shippo hugged her leg and ran to grab some food and a pack.  
  
Sango sat down near Miroku. "I'm gonna kill you when we get back," she growled. He shrugged as if it were a comment she made every day. (A/N: she probably does. lol) She shook her head and slung her giant boomerang over her shoulder. "Come on Shippo. Hurry up!"  
  
Shippo came running and leapt over Miroku. "Ready!" The woman and kitsune set out at a moderate pace and a couple minutes later an out of breath Miroku came running up. Once caught up with them, he matched their pace. "What do you want?" Sango asked with distaste.  
  
"Well, I thought I'd keep you company......."  
  
"You don't want to stay behind by yourself do you?" Sango smirked.  
  
"No," Miroku pouted, hanging his head.  
  
"All right then. Shutup and walk." The three stopped shortly by the well and Sango gently lowered Shippo in. Miroku received a loud smack when his hand traveled a little too low helping Sango into the well. Miroku jumped in last and didn't notice the dark shadow, watching them go, in the nearby trees.  
  
Koga stepped out from his hiding place smiling thoughtfully. "So they're going to find Kagome, hmmmm? I guess I'd better help out....... I'll show her that stupid dog demon doesn't deserve her. I'll make her mine at last."  
  
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Author: Duh duh duh! (evil theme music) And the plot thickens!  
  
Inuyasha: ::smiles happily:: Yay! I got kissed! It's about damn time!  
  
Author: ::sighs and shakes her head::Well......that was quite an "eventful" chapter, was it not? Heehee. I'm so happy, but everyone knows a certain dog demon is probably going to screw everything up again.  
  
Inuyasha: Hey!  
  
Author: I apologize for the lemonish parts, but you all know you loved it. :P My friend suggested putting actual lemon into the story, but I'm a little squeamish about writing that kind of stuff. I'll let it be up to the readers. If you guys want a lemon chapter then say that you do or don't in your next review. It will be in the next couple chapters or something like that. Probably in chapter six or so. I dunno yet. I doubt that Chelsey will want any lemon at all. ::grins:: So innocent.  
  
Chelsey: ::glares:: Shutup! Or I won't review. Ever again!  
  
Author: Nooooooooooooooo! I'm sorry! ::bows down at her feet:: Forgive me.  
  
Chelsey: ::smirks:: Yah, that's right. You'd better be sorry.  
  
Inuyasha: ::grins at Chelsey:: Hello there. So you've come back to me have you?  
  
Chelsey: ::laughs:: In your dreams.  
  
Inuyasha: ::pouts as Chelsey disappears in a poof of smoke::  
  
Author: Soooo.......yah. Please R&R. REVIEW FOR THE SAKE OF THE ORPHANED MOOGLES! Every review creates a five-cent profit that goes towards feeding and clothing them. Some are even getting a chance to go to school!  
  
Cute little moogle: Somebody reviewed this story and I got a new pompom! Now the other moogles don't make fun of me anymore! I'm so happy. ::smiles cutely and innocently::  
  
Readers: Awwwwwwwwwwwww.  
  
Author: ::grins:: I'm going to ask for seven reviews for this chapter. Why? Because I can. Lol. Plus I don't have tons of free time to type up a new chapter every couple days. Man you people review fast, and I love you for it. Also, seven is an original number. Everyone else says "I want five! I want five!" Well I'm breaking free! SEVEN I SAY! Is it just me, or is a roof a substitute for sky? Well I won't take it anymore!!!! No more substitutes! I want the real thing dammit! RISE UP AND JOIN ME! DON'T LET THOSE COPORATE BASTARDS FORCE YOU INTO ACCEPTING SKY SUBSTITUTE! DEMAND THE REAL THING! REAL!!!! WE WANT SKY, WE WANT SKY, WE WANT SKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this momentary lapse of sanity has been brought to you by AshNat Productions (R) lol.  
  
Sorry. Anyway, the insanity shall stop now and again I humbly ask for you to review. And feel free to praise and criticize anything that you liked or didn't like. I love suggestions. I really appreciate Cloud Bahamut's review because he brought to my attention that I spelled Hojo's name wrong. Stuff like that is constructive criticism and it really helps me, as a writer, to fix stuff up. Anyway, thank you all for reading and REVIEWING! (which means you actually have to do it. :P) See you all next chapter. Don't forget to say whether or not you want me to write a lemon chapter! :D Thankies! 


	4. Ch4: Go Koga! :D

Author: *sighs deeply* Well hello everyone. I'm gonna have to up the number of reviews I need for this chapter cause there seems to be thousands of you reviewing. :D Thankies! It seems like every couple of days I have to update and I feel bad making you guys wait. In between work, school, straight A's etc. it's hard to find time to type at all. But enough of my complaining and excuses.  
  
Inuyasha: *rolls his eyes* Like they'll ever end.  
  
Author: *frowns* You shut up.  
  
Chelsey: *appears in a sparkly cloud* Hello.  
  
Author: *shakes her head* Would the whole world like to come and join me?  
  
Whole world: *thousands of voices yelling together* Yay! We'd love to!  
  
Author: GET OUT! I was being sarcastic.  
  
Chelsey: *puts her hands on her hips* Now that's not very nice.  
  
Author: *smirks* Will you leave me alone if I give you Inuyasha?  
  
Chelsey: *eyes go wide and she nods excitedly* Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesy esyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesye syesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesy esyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesye syesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesy esyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesye syesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesy esyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesye syesyesyesyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!  
  
Author: *backs away in fear at the copy and pastedness of all the yeses* Okay! You can have him!  
  
Inuyasha: *hides* No! Don't give me to psycho woman. She does scary things to me! Like braiding my hair. Help me!  
  
Chelsey: *hugs and cuddles him* Awwww, but you look so cute with little braids.  
  
Author: *laughs evilly* And you thought you could get away with the way you treated me in past chapters! Mwahahaha!  
  
Inuyasha: *glares at her and turns to Chelsey* Well then, take this! *sweeps Chelsey off her feet and kisses her deeply*  
  
Chelsey: *gasps* *speachless*  
  
Inuyasha: *grins* Pretty good huh?  
  
Author: *growls loudly in her throat* Let's start the fic now....... *fades away to fic as Author advances on the screaming Inuyasha with an axe*  
  
(Oh, and I was going to answer some comments/questions while I was at it. Kill two birds with one stone or whatever. Why the hell would you be chucking rocks at birds in the first place? Anyway, Cloud-Bahamut, I don't know if I'll put any Sango/Miroku fluff in because they don't acutally get together in the manga or the show. Hmmmm....if you really want to I can. They kind of drive me insane when they're together. :P I'd love to write more fluff, that's what I do. lol. My friend always tells me that Sango/Miroku stuff is pathetic and not correct, but screw her. I'll write it if I want to. Besides, it's not like Kagome and Inuyasha are together in the show/manga either. So yah.  
  
So far the votes seem to be leaning in favour of a lemon, sort of. With that last vote it became even! *gulp* Poor me. I have 2 yes, 2 no, 1 undecided, and 3 that didn't even say. So yah. I'll let the voting continue for this chapter as well. If you didn't vote in the last chapter vote now, and if you did then feel free to vote twice. (Or just leave it as it is) I'll finish tallying up the votes after this chapter and let you know the results in the next chapter. All right? All right! :D For those of you who are very confused and would like to know what the hell's going on, we're having a poll. Write in your review whether or not you'd like this story to have a lemon chapter.  
  
And just a little side note, screwing with the people's relationships is half the fun. lol. Just kidding. On with the fic.)  
  
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Overview: ~*So basically what's happening at the moment from last chapter - Kagome and Inuyasha are getting it on, well, sort of, Miroku's being perverted, Koga's plotting to get Kagome, Kagome's mommy is finishing up Christmas dinner and Sango and Shippo are going to look for Kagome (with the ever-perverted Miroku and also with Koga following behind)*~  
  
Inuyasha watched Kagome skipping along, a little ahead of him and smiled to himself. He was so lucky. Now he just had to NOT screw things up. Easier said then done. Especially when it came to him. He sighed and walked a little faster to catch up with her. She flashed him a grin as he came up beside her and she shivered slightly. It was so almost too cold to be outside, but she loved walks and would rather be outside and cold then inside and warm.  
  
Taking her hand in his, Inuyasha grinned at her surprised face. Sighing happily, Kagome leaned on his shoulder. She felt his arm wrap around her shoulder and his face was suddenly in hers, kissing her passionately. Everything was a little too overwhelming. It was all happening too fast. She pulled away, gasping for air.  
  
"I said a 'walk' Inuyasha." He pouted and smiled seductively.  
  
"Awww. Come on. Spoil sport." He placed soft kisses along the nape of her neck and she shoved him away, wishing it didn't feel so good.  
  
"Back off," she smiled. As she walked away, Inuyasha knocked her down into a nearby snowdrift. Sputtering snow and blinking her eyes, she growled angrily, surprising Inuyasha.  
  
"Hey, do that again. It's kind of sexy." He dodged back as she flung herself at him with murderous intents. Managing at last to grab him, Kagome pinned Inuyasha to the ground and sat on his chest, crossing her arms and sticking her nose in the air. Inuyasha struggled and growled underneath her. Resorting to the only thing he could think of, he began tickling her.  
  
"Jerk!" she yelled laughing. She giggled uncontrollably, looking down at him and Inuyasha stopped, getting lost in her eyes. Kagome jumped to her feet. "That's it, I'm leaving." Inuyasha watched her with amusement as she headed off back towards her house, peering over her shoulder every now and then to see if he was going to come and get her. Let her come crawling back. After a couple minutes she was almost out of sight and Inuyasha finally stood and ran after her.  
  
Not even slowing, he scooped her up from the path and leapt into the tree by her window. "Just try and escape now," he smiled triumphantly. Kagome felt dizzy when she looked down. They were at least seven feet off the ground and she had never been good with heights.  
  
"Inuyasha.....please......I want to go back down..." He mocked-dropped her and she cried out in pure terror, locking her arms tightly around him. Feeling bad for teasing her, he dropped out of the tree and placed her on her feet.  
  
"Be gentle," he whimpered sheepishly, seeing the enraged look upon her face. Her look went soft and she shook her head. Her eyes slowly shifted across his face, studying every detail. She couldn't help but love him. His annoying way off making her pissed off and then begging forgiveness could drive her insane sometimes, but he always seemed to find some way to get back in her good graces.  
  
Inuyasha didn't like the way she was looking at him. Whenever a woman was deep in thought it usually ended in him needing some serious painkillers. He tensed in anticipation of a 'sit boy' but it didn't come. "You okay?" he asked carefully.  
  
Kagome's eyes blinked and she looked into his. He leaned forward until their lips touched and stayed that way for a moment before he pulled her in. His tongue slipped in between her lips and she responded almost eagerly. What was he doing to her? Could this woman be the same innocent Kagome he had met not so long ago? Her taste was intoxicating and he could almost feel his control slipping away......  
  
Shippo landed hard at the bottom of the well in Kagome's time. "Ow!" he squeaked and rubbed his head. Hopping out quickly, he narrowly missed being crushed by Sango and Miroku, who soon followed.  
  
"GET OFF ME LECHER!!!!" Sango yelled, prying the young man's hands off her.  
  
"Ish not my faulsh" he mumbled from the front of Sango.  
  
"And get your face out of there!!!" Prying his head off her chest she threw him out of the well. He crunched to the ground and Sango gracefully hopped up beside him. "Come on Shippo. The sooner we find Kagome the better."  
  
Miroku pouted and rubbed his sore parts sadly. "What'd I do? Hey! Wait up!"  
  
Koga poked his head up out of the well and smiled. Things were going according to plan.  
  
Shippo grinned from ear to ear and rode on Sango's shoulders happily. "Going to find Kagome. Going to find Kagome," he sang. Sango smiled and scanned the area for any sign of the fifteen year old.  
  
"She doesn't seem to be here," she observed. Miroku caught up with them and looked around as well.  
  
"Find 'em?"  
  
"Yes," Sango sneered, "that's why we're still standing here looking."  
  
"Sorry, geez. Calm down." Miroku held up his hands defensively. Sango ignored him and headed for Kagome's dwelling. 'Men, she scoffed, can't live with them, but she sure could live without them.'  
  
Shippo cried out excitedly when he spotted Kagome and Inuyasha near the side of the house, but his happy laughter died out. "Sango, what are they doing? It doesn't look like they're fighting..."  
  
Sango looked in the direction Shippo was facing and blushed. They certainly were busy. Miroku came up beside her and his mouth dropped open. "Lucky guy! Hey Sango," he grinned, "you should be taking notes so you'll remember this later."  
  
Sango's boomerang connected with his skull and he slumped to the ground.  
  
"Um, hey guys," Sango called out to the pair, embarrassed, but not wanting to let them continue with everyone standing there. Kagome's head jerked up at Sango's voice and she pulled away from Inuyasha, forcing him to remove his hands from inside her shirt.  
  
Shippo ran to Kagome and snuggled into her chest. "I found you!" he cried, "now you're not lost!" Kagome smiled and tried to hide her crimson face behind Shippo's fur.  
  
"You found me," she giggled.  
  
"You're heart is beating really fast," Shippo frowned, "was Inuyasha trying to hurt you?"  
  
"Far from it," the cocky looking hanyou grinned. Shippo looked at everyone confused. They all seemed to know something that he didn't. "What," he whined, "what? I don't get it."  
  
Kagome snuggled him, "never you mind." She shot a warning look at Inuyasha and stood with Shippo still in her arms. Miroku stood up dizzily and staggered over to Inuyasha.  
  
"Come on buddy, we've got a lot of catching up to do." Inuyasha looked at him with distaste, and smirked.  
  
"Not really. Kagome threw herself on me and I went along with it. No big deal. This one here really gets around," he gestured at Kagome. Kagome's face darkened dangerously and she put Shippo down.  
  
"Wanna try that explanation one more time," she said in a quiet, but deadly tone.  
  
"What? About you getting around you mean? What was that kid's name anyway? Hobo?" Clenching her fists tightly, Kagome's felt a tight pain in her chest and turned away from everyone. She should have known. Of course he'd be back to his regular self once everyone else was around. She wouldn't let him see her cry. Not this time. She ran towards the woods bordering her home and crashed through the branches, not caring that thorns were tearing at her clothes and flesh.  
  
Inuyasha's heart stopped. The hurt in her eyes wasn't anything he had ever seen before. He really blown it this time. Miroku smacked the back of his head. "Dumbass! What did you go and do that for?! She was perfectly happy and you broke her heart because you're too arrogant to admit you're together. You should be the one suffering. You don't deserve her!"  
  
Inuyasha stared in surprise at Miroku. The world must be coming to an end. Miroku was actually making sense. Sango shook with rage and couldn't even force herself look in Inuyasha's direction. "Baka," she cursed, "like we didn't know what you two were up to. Why even bother hiding it. All you've done is screw up your only chance with a wonderful girl who ignores the fact that you fantasize about a dead witch when you should be paying attention to her!"  
  
Inuyasha laughed bitterly. "Shut up. Both of you. I never asked for your opinion now, did I?" He stalked off into the woods where Kagome had gone and Shippo started to cry.  
  
"Everybody's yelling," he whimpered, tears running down his face. Sango picked him up and Miroku hugged them both. Sango sighed and leaned on Miroku. They should've stayed home. Now everything was a huge mess again. (A/N: Goddamn them! Three whole chapters of setting those two up and they ruin it in a couple sentences!!)  
  
Kagome kept running until her lungs burned for air and she threw herself down in a grassy area, sheltered by trees, where the snow hadn't fallen through.. "I hate you," she snarled at a nearby tree.  
  
"Well, that's not very nice. Could I at least know why?" a voice asked, causing her to jump. Koga stepped out from behind a tree and came towards her.  
  
"Not you," she whispered, holding back tears.  
  
"Oh thanks," he muttered, looking rejected.  
  
"No," she shook her head, "I mean, I don't hate you."  
  
A tear spilled over and ran down her cheek. "What's the matter?" Koga asked, sitting next to her, curling his tail around his legs.  
  
Kagome look up at him, trying to hide her pain and he took her shaky hand in his, watching her carefully. "That pathetic dog hurt you, didn't he?" Kagome just nodded and buried her head in his chest, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Koga stroked her back, smiling to himself. 'You make it too easy for me, mutt, too easy.'  
  
Waiting for her to finish crying, he nuzzled her lovingly, a gesture that came naturally to him from leading a pack for so long. Most females would bite your head off for looking at them, though, which is why he preferred humans. Most of the time. Once her crying stopped and she sniffed a few times, Koga lifted her chin up, making her look at him.  
  
"Please, don't cry. Then I'll cry. And then where would we be?" A small smile appeared on her lips. "There. That's better," he smiled.  
  
Kagome snuggled in closer to him and he pulled her into his lap, massaging her shoulders. "You shouldn't have to put up with all that crap Kagome. He's not worth it. I on the other hand, could give you everything you've ever wanted. And I'd be completely devoted to you. I haven't loved anyone but you since the first day I met you. You're on my mind all the time and it's driving me crazy. I can't live without you."  
  
Kagome inched away, a little afraid. "But Koga, I thought.....what about....I don't know....."  
  
Koga reclaimed her in his arms and leaned his forehead against hers. "Koga," she shifted nervously, "I don't know what to say to you......."  
  
"Just tell me you'll be my mate. Nothing in the world would make me happier." A red blur came crashing through the trees and in an instant, Tetsaiga was pressed firmly against Koga's throat. "BASTARD!" Inuyasha roared.  
  
Koga smiled calmly and pushed away the sword effortlessly, leaping back into battle stance. "Why don't we let the lady decide who's the bastard, baka."  
  
Kagome could feel fresh tears starting at the sight of Inuyasha and hid her face from him. Inuyasha let his guard down as he gazed at her pained expression. He knew no amount of apologizing could fix this, but why Koga? Had she no taste what-so-ever?! Crying out in pain, he dropped to his knees and grabbed his burning shoulder. Koga smirked, standing to the side, and flexed his bloodied claws. "You should pay more attention to people, then maybe you'd have more luck with women."  
  
Inuyasha sliced wildly at Koga and managed to cut him across the chest. Wincing in pain, Koga's confident smile wavered slightly. Kagome walked into their fray, not able to match their speed, but threw herself into what she believed to be the middle of their fight. Both guys halted to a dead stop, not wanting to accidentally hurt Kagome.  
  
"STOP IT!" she yelled, "both of you! Grow up!" She stalked off on her own again and left the two standing, bloodied and beaten, by themselves. Her heart hurt in a way she had never known possible. It burned with pain and she couldn't stop crying. She ran through dense forest until she broke out into her yard, near the back of the house. Glancing around she could see that Miroku, Sango and Shippo were still in the front. She couldn't get in the house without them seeing.  
  
Breezing by them without a word, Kagome stalked through the front door and was met by a very angry looking mother.  
  
"Where were you?! You didn't tell me you were going out somewhere and dinner has been ready for more then an hour now! Don't even think about going anywhere for the next month!" Her mom marched her down the hallway and shoved her into her room, closing the door as she left. She hadn't even noticed Kagome's tearstained face. 'Probably better that way,' Kagome sighed to herself. The tears continued to rain down and she climbed under her covers, pulling the blanket over her head.  
  
Miroku stared in shock at the front door of Kagome's house. She hadn't said a word to them. She'd just........left.  
  
"Well, I know where I'm not wanted," he sighed.  
  
"Not normally you don't," Sango muttered.  
  
"Hmmm?"  
  
"Nothing," she snapped, hugging Shippo to her. Shippo was whimpering and luckily hadn't seen Kagome leave them standing out here without so much as a word to them. Miroku seemed to have put his natural instincts on pause and was actually trying his best to cheer Sango up.  
  
He could tell his pathetic attempts at making her smile weren't working and gave up with a deep sigh. "Why don't we just head back to our era, Sango. This situation would probably be more likely to be resolved if we weren't here, getting in the way." Sango nodded wordlessly and Miroku took Shippo from her. He whispered in the kitsune's ear. "Hey. Head back to the well now all right? We'll catch up in a minute. I'll find you some treats when we get back." Shippo sniffed sadly and nodded, running off to the well house.  
  
Miroku walked Sango away from Kagome's home and to a more isolated spot near the well house where Kagome and Inuyasha wouldn't find them. "You don't blame yourself for what happened do you?" he asked Sango in a serious tone.  
  
"What do you think?" she replied bitterly.  
  
"Stop that," he commanded, "all of this was that stupid hanyou's fault and I don't want to see you upset about something that you didn't cause and had no control over." Sango gave him a half smile, but her shoulders slumped sadly. Miroku gently put an arm around her, keeping his hands to himself for once so he wouldn't be instantly knocked out of commission.  
  
"Come on. We should get back. Shippo's waiting." Sango looked at him, wondering how he could be so calm and understanding. As he turned to walk away Sango placed a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Miroku....." she spoke hesitantly.  
  
"What's wrong?" he frowned, facing her again. She put her arms around his neck, running her fingers through the soft ponytail at the base of his hair. He tensed and looked at her, confused. Before he had time to react her lips were on his and his eyes went wide. This certainly was a twist he had never expected. He carefully placed his arms around her waist, pulling her to him and she deepened the kiss momentarily before pulling away. Sango felt her face go red and hurried away to the well house, leaving the breathless Miroku behind.  
  
He stood puzzling for a moment, then quickly ran to catch up with her. "So Sango," he said with a grin," about bearing my children..........."  
  
Koga breathed heavily as he dodged Inuyasha's violent attacks. He knew the only reason the hanyou was still fighting was to stop him from trying to win Kagome. "Give it up!" he growled, "this is pointless. Eventually we'll both reach the point of exhaustion and neither of us will win. Let's finish this stupid thing and go our separate ways." Inuyasha slashed at him and connected with his arm, shattering the bone.  
  
"Have it your way then!" Koga screamed, drawing his sword and starting the real battle. Metal clashed and ranged out, filling the air with battle sounds. Koga held his injured arm against his chest and countered all of Inuyasha's blows. Seeing a small opening in Inuyasha's guard, Koga drove a hard jab up into the hanyou's stomach. Glaring down at him, he watched in satisfaction as the wound began to pour blood onto the pure white snow.  
  
"Kagome's mine," he stated with a smirk and left the dog demon to die. Inuyasha held his stomach weakly, trying to stop the flow of blood. Standing proved to be too strenuous for him to bear and he slumped down again in defeat. He was going to freeze out here, or bleed to death. Whichever came first. His thoughts lingered on Kagome, reminding him that all of this was his own fault. He deserved to be dying out here. Away from the ones he loved. He had condemned himself to this fate and he was prepared to face it. He could already feel his body heat draining from him as his precious lifeblood spilled onto the ground. Welcomed blackness enveloped him.  
  
Kagome climbed out of the covers after a while and grabbed some tissues from her bathroom, wiping her eyes. Grabbing a facecloth as well, she wet it with cold water and pressed it to her swollen eyes. The coolness felt refreshing on her face and she blocked out any thoughts that would cause her crying to start again. The only thing left to do was find a way to apologize to her mother. As far as she was concerned, the feudal era no longer existed.........................  
  
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Author: Well, it's not really a cliffhanger but it'll do. *pats story on the head affectionately* That'll do pig, that'll do.  
  
Story: ????  
  
Author: *ahem* Never mind. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! It was fluff-filled and that was mainly for you guys but I kind of enjoy writing some of the parts as well. I'm going to ask for ten reviews for this chapter. I know that's mean and cruel, but if I don't get that many and I'm done typing out the next chapter then I'll consider posting it. I'll be loyal to all my regulars. :D Now......what was I doing? I don't remember. Oh well. I have the memory of a goldfish! Yay! Poor Inuyasha. :( Mwahahahahaha. *eyes shift back and forth*  
  
Inuyasha: OW! THIS REALLY HURTS! *has stab wounds in his stomach and axe marks in his head*  
  
Chelsey: *kisses his boo-boos and they heal instantly* There you go! *smiles perkily*  
  
Inuyasha: *smiles* Shall we head back to the closet?  
  
Chelsey: Let's. *both head into hallway broom closet*  
  
Author: *talks louder to drown out noises coming from the closet* SO YAH! ANYWAY, AS I WAS SAYING. PLEASE REVIEW NOW SO I CAN STOP TALKING AND RUN AWAY SCREAMING TO BASH MY HEAD ON A BRICK WALL.  
  
Sephiroth: *peaks into story* Oops, sorry. Wrong room. *looks at Author* You wouldn't happen to know where the men's room is would you.  
  
Author: DOWN THE HALL, THREE TO THE LEFT.  
  
Sephiroth: *frowns* All right all right. No need to yell. *leaves*  
  
Author: *goes into a sound proof bubble to finish blabbering on* Thanks for all your guys' support for my story. I get all teary-eyed everytime I check my email and it says 'new review'. I'm not even joking. I'm that much of a freak. Do you all think that Miroku was too much of a gentleman? Should he go back to the way he was or stay nice for a while? Please vote on whether or not you want a lemon chapter in the future. I may just have you email me if you want that chapter or something like that if the vote is mostly yes. If that made any sense. lol. Say 'yes' or 'no' to the lemon in your review and any suggestions etc. Bored bored bored and hungry. I want cake! Yum! :P  
  
Chelsey: *pops out of closet* Did you say cake?!  
  
Author: No! And you can't hear me cause I'm in a soundproof bubble remember?!  
  
Chelsey: Oh. Right. *shrugs and goes back into closet*  
  
Giant Pin: heeheeheeheehee *pops Author's bubble*  
  
Author: *can hear noises again* NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO *takes breath* OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'LL SEE YOU ALL NEXT CHAPTER! THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING! *runs away screaming tearing at her hair* 


	5. Ch5: DEAD?

Author: Well. I'm not quite sure what's going to be in this chapter since Inuyasha's dead, but I'll try my best. lol. So much for a Inuyasha/Kagome fic. Oh well, good riddance. For all of you who saw the episodes of Inuyasha on the 19th you know what I'm talking about. Poor Kagome. Freaking hell people, learn when someone doesn't like you anymore to GET OVER THEM!!!! :P Sorry. I'm ranting. Anyway, for those of you who didn't figure it out, I was actually joking about the Inuyasha death thing. I wouldn't kill him for at least another two chapters. Then if you guys had voted yes for a lemon (I really should tally those, shouldn't I? Oh well, I'll worry about that at the end of this chapter.) then who the hell would Kagome have a lemon chapter with? Hmmmmm...........O_O I can think of a couple people, but they'd be icky. :P  
  
Koga: *puts his hands on hips angrily* Hey! I'm not icky!  
  
Author: Oh, but you are. *laughs as Koga cries and runs away*  
  
Sephiroth: *shakes his head* Oh come on now. You shouldn't take out your anger towards Inuyasha on Koga. He's very sensitive.  
  
Author: Sephiroth, is there something you would like to tell me?  
  
Sephiroth: *gets defensive* No! Why? What are you implying?!  
  
Author: *grins and huggles him* Nothing...............  
  
Sephiroth: *looks at author suspiciously, but doesn't say anything*  
  
Author: So anyway, this chapter is a little shorter then my other ones because I'm short on time to write. Too much crap to do at the moment and I've been staying up late to type. Also, please forgive any spelling/grammer mistakes because I read it over a couple times and I'm really tired so I might've missed some things. I know that sounds weird because I can't actually post this until morning, but whatever. I want to thank everyone who has been following this story and reading and reviewing. Dreamboat Annie especially. She's always leaving long, entertaining reviews that make me laugh. Her reviews keep me typing sometimes when I have writer's block. Must......keep.....writing........for....Dreamboat......Annie.....lol. Everyone else is great too! I love clicking on my new mail and reading what you guys thought of my most recent chapter. Well, here it is. Enjoy! (By the way Hiroshimi is an OC - original character)  
  
Chelsey: *runs in out of breath* No! Wait! Stop! *smooths down her hair nervously* Sorry I'm late. I was supposed to tell you that the author doesn't own any of the characters in this fic except for her OC. Oh, and Inuyasha's mine. *smiles sweety* It's his fault I'm late. Coat hangers sure a real pain in the butt. *eyes shift back and forth* So....yah. Go read the chapter now!  
  
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Inuyasha awoke, head throbbing, and slowly opened his eyes to the blurriness around him. A painful groan escaped his lips when he tried to move and he blinked a couple times, trying to clear his vision. Inuyasha shifted his head to the side and looked in wonder at his surroundings. He was in a warm, soft bed, covered by a blanket and it appeared he was in a room in someone's house. It wasn't Kagome's so..........who? As he stared dumbly around the room he didn't notice someone enter.  
  
"Father! He's awake!" a voice called from beside Inuyasha, causing him to jump slightly. A little girl peered into his face. Inuyasha moved away from her, eyes wide.  
  
"Who? What? Where am I?!" he yelped. The girl giggled and pet his hair in a comforting gesture.  
  
"It's okay. I won't hurt you. Father says not to move cause you got big hurts." Inuyasha flinched under her touch and looked for a way to escape. A man came into the room and smiled at the little girl.  
  
"Come on. Leave our visitor alone. I'm sure he's scared enough already." He came over to Inuyasha with a plate of food and placed it on the table next to the bed. "You're lucky I found you young man. You were almost frozen solid when we found you. It's amazing that you survived." Inuyasha shifted awkwardly under the covers.  
  
"Um.......thank you," he spoke quietly. The man smiled and patted his shoulder.  
  
"Rest up. I'll check back on you in awhile. I'm Hiroshimi by the way."  
  
"I'm Inuyasha," Inuyasha replied, then slumped against the pillow in pain. Hiroshimi nodded.  
  
"Well, Inuyasha, it's nice to meet you, even if it isn't under the best circumstances. You should really get some rest though. Don't mind my daughter. We just don't get visitors very often." Hiroshimi scratched the back of his hair awkwardly. "So, yah. I guess I'll let you sleep now. Oh, and don't touch the bandages, they need to stay on for a couple days. I have some healing herbs on your wounds so they should close up faster."  
  
Inuyasha nodded wordlessly and Hiroshimi and his daughter left the room. Snuggling against the comfy mattress, Inuyasha winced slightly and slowly fell asleep.  
  
Koga growled in frustration. Was she going to ignore him all day? He tapped lightly on Kagome's window and she didn't look up from her desk. "Kagome," he called through the locked window, "come on! Open up!" Kagome stood and left her bedroom, going somewhere else in the house. Koga was tempted to break the window, but decided that would only piss Kagome off even more.  
  
Kagome sighed deeply. Leaning against the wall in the hallway, she frowned. Why wouldn't he go away?! She just wanted to be left alone and Koga didn't seem to get that. Her mom looked at her strangely as she passed her in the hall. Christmas had been a little weird with everyone all tense and worried about their mom flipping out again, but all in all it had been all right. Not fun, but all right. She was wearing a new sweater she had gotten from her brother and had to admit he had good taste.  
  
She peeked around the corner of the door frame. The stupid wolf was still sitting on the window sill. She looked down at her feet. Her heart ached in a way she never knew it could. Inuyasha had really cut her deep this time. She missed him so much, but her pride prevented her from wanting to forgive him. He could die for all she cared. But she did care. She raised both hands to the sides of her head, digging her fingernails in, clenching her teeth to keep from screaming in frustration. What the hell was wrong with her?! Sota skipped down the hallway and stopped, looking at her with concern.  
  
"Kagome? What's the matter?" Kagome's head jerked up and she smiled fakely at her little brother.  
  
"Um, nothing. I'm fine," she lied quickly.  
  
"You've got another guy outside your window," Sota commented, noticing Koga and walking towards the window inside Kagome's bedroom.  
  
"Don't open that!" she cried urgently as Sota unlocked the window. It was too late. Koga hopped inside, shaking snow off himself, and although his eyes looked angry at being left outside for long, he looked relieved to be with Kagome again.  
  
"Where's Inuyasha?" Sota asked, looking around for his idle. Koga smirked and was about to say something, but Kagome clapped her hand over his mouth.  
  
"We'll find him for you later, okay Sota? Please go for now." Sota shrugged and smiled, heading for the door.  
  
"All right. Tell Inuyasha I said hi if you can't get him to see me later." After he left, Kagome sat Koga on her bed and went over to close the door. Koga hopped up, sniffing about her room.  
  
"What is this place?" he asked with interest, "it's very........nice smelling."  
  
"It's my room. Or home or den. Whatever you call it," she said, frowning, "and you shouldn't be here. So get out." Koga held up his hands defensively.  
  
"Please Kagome. I didn't want to upset you. I was merely defending myself against that mutt. I couldn't allow him to defeat me. Then I wouldn't ever be worthy of you."  
  
"What makes you think you ever will be?" Kagome scowled.  
  
"I always keep hope that maybe one day you'll change your mind."  
  
Kagome sighed and slumped down onto the bed. Koga moved over next to her and pulled her into a hug, leaning his forehead on hers. "I know that I'm not the best choice of mate in the entire world, but if you gave me a chance then you might see I'm not so bad after all."  
  
Kagome looked at him carefully. See could use a friend right now, not a lover. But Koga had never done anything to harm her, physically or emotionally, and he was always very kind and loving to her. Maybe he was really the right person for her. Had she fallen in love with the wrong person? Or was she ever truly in love with Inuyasha? No, she remembered the feeling she'd had when he'd kissed her. She loved him. Stupid hanyou. He always had to screw everything up.  
  
Koga was looking into her eyes anxiously, waiting for some sort of reply. "Koga............I-I don't know if I can be with you like that."  
  
Koga smiled slightly. "I understand. Like I said before. I'll always be waiting anytime you feel differently." He let her pull away and grinned, knowing Inuyasha could never get in his way now. With time, she would eventually come to see that he was the mate for her. She'd give in one way or another.  
  
Inuyasha woke again, not knowing how long he'd been asleep. He groggily looked around. He was alone in the room at the moment. Reaching over to the small table beside the bed, he grabbed an orange and didn't bother with the peel, munching it whole. Next he pulled the jug of water that had been put there over to his mouth and gulped down as much water as he could before he started to feel sick. With that done and over with, he leaned back into the bed again and sighed contentedly. That's when it hit him.  
  
Kagome!  
  
He'd left her at the mercy of Koga! He sprung out of the bed and collapsed on the floor with a loud thump. The pain from standing for a split second was so strong that he could barely breathe. He couldn't get back to Kagome in this state. Hiroshimi came running in, having heard the commotion. Inuyasha began sobbing helplessly on the wooden floor.  
  
He'd never felt so lost and alone in his life. Hiroshimi placed a hand on his back.  
  
"Here. Let me help you." He lifted the hanyou as though he was light as feather and put him back into the bed. "Don't worry," he said softly, a little alarmed by Inuyasha's crying, "we'll get you back to your home by tonight, okay? I'll take you myself. Please. Don't cry." Inuyasha forced his tears under control and he was shaking all over.  
  
"Y-you'll take me back?" he sniffed, wiping tears away as they ran slowly down his cheeks. Hiroshimi nodded and sighed sadly.  
  
"My wife got lost in the snow once, but there was no one to help her. By the time I found her it was too late. She was always the one who loved to help people in need. I feel that by helping you, it takes away a little of the pain that I couldn't do anything to help her. She would've liked you."  
  
Inuyasha felt bad for reminding this kind stranger of the sad past. "I'm sorry," he said, voice quivering slightly. Hiroshimi shook his head.  
  
"No, it's all right. You know, if you want, we could set out now. My cottage isn't that far from where I found you. Where abouts do you come from?"  
  
Inuyasha racked his brain for the location of Kagome's house. "Um........my family is at t-the...house at the edge of the woods. We have a well house and, and......" He couldn't think of anything else.  
  
"I know the place," Hiroshimi said thoughtfully, "we should get there in about an hour and a half if we leave now."  
  
"I can't.......walk.....too well," Inuyasha muttered, embarrassed that he was so weak.  
  
Hiroshimi laughed heartily. "Well that's why I'm carrying you."  
  
Inuyasha whimpered. He didn't want to be carried, but he couldn't wait any longer to get back to Kagome. "All right," he nodded, "I'd be eternally grateful. If you really don't mind, then that would be great."  
  
Hiroshimi beamed that Inuyasha seemed to like his idea so much. "I'll just grab some blankets to wrap you in. It's still snowing after all." Inuyasha watched the man hurry out and wondered if maybe he was just trying to get rid of him as soon as possible. And why hadn't he noticed the hanyou's obvious 'differences' that came with being half demon. Such as dog ears, for example. The whole situation made him a little suspicious, but he just wanted to get back to Kagome. He'd never deny his feelings for her again.  
  
Kagome couldn't seem to get rid of Koga. Wherever she went, he appeared by her side. It was getting rather annoying and she was ready to scream at him. "Koga? Would you mind giving me a little privacy? I feel like you've been breathing down my neck for the last hour."  
  
Koga looked genuinely surprised and nodded apologetically. "Of course. I'll be outside if you need me."  
  
Kagome shook her head at that. What did he think she'd need him for? Once he was gone, she breathed a sigh of relief and headed out of the living room and went back down the hall to her room. She lay on the bed, thinking about Inuyasha. Christmas break was not for much longer. Then she'd have to go back to school or invent some sort of new sickness. I hope he's okay........ Maybe leaving Inuyasha out there with Koga hadn't been such a good idea. Where was he anyway?  
  
Koga leaned against a tree near the edge of the forest. He wanted to get back to his pack for awhile. They were probably lost without him. Making up his mind, he strolled over to Kagome's window and hopped up. "Kagome?" he called inside, seeing her on her bed.  
  
Her head glanced up towards him. "What now Koga?" she asked, sounding slightly annoyed.  
  
"I just wanted you to know that I'm going back. I have to check on my pack and make sure they haven't got into any trouble. I'm sorry. I'll come back and see you in a week or so."  
  
Kagome nodded. She'd be glad to get rid of everyone that reminded her of that stupid hanyou. "Thanks for telling me," she smiled, "see you later." Koga jumped down to the ground and headed to the well house. She watched him leaving and decided to do something to keep her mind busy. Kagome pulled out her make-up school work from a drawer in her desk and set to work on the ten pages of math work she had to do.  
  
Someone knocked on their door a few minutes later and she yelled to Sota to answer it. It wasn't like any of her friends would visit now. They all had lives and fun things to do. Maybe Hojo would come and see her. That thought made her smirk. That would certainly tick off a certain half-demon. Sota's cries drew her attention and she jumped up from her desk, grabbing her bow and arrows in one swift movement. Running down the hall and into the living room she spotted Sota at the front door with a pale face.  
  
"What is it?!" she exclaimed, moving quickly to his side. She gasped at the sight of Inuyasha cradled in a stranger's arms, badly wounded and covered in bandages. "Oh Inuyasha!" Kagome threw her arms around the hanyou's blanket covered body and hugged him tightly. He gasped in pain, eyes blinking open and looked around disoriented. Hiroshimi seemed to feel slightly awkward about the whole situation.  
  
"I'll just put him somewhere safe. I'm sure you guys can take from here."  
  
Kagome released Inuyasha from her grip and smiled at the kind stranger. "Follow me. We can put him on the couch." The man nodded at her and followed her as she lead him around the corner of the front entrance and into the living room. Hiroshimi laid Inuyasha gently on the couch and handed Kagome a small pouch.  
  
"You'll need to apply these herbs once every six hours. It'll help with the healing." Lowering his voice so only she could hear, he spoke again. "You must be one special lady for him to want to come back so badly. He practically begged me to drag him here to you. You take good care of that boy." Kagome blushed and nodded. The man went back to the front door and winked at her before leaving and closing the door behind him.  
  
Kagome knelt at Inuyasha's side and brushed back hair from his forehead. He was burning up. "Inuyasha," she whispered softly, "wake up. You need to stay awake for now. Come on." Sota had been watching with wide eyes the entire time and hesitantly approached the couch, staring at his idol with fear.  
  
"Is he gonna be okay Kagome?"  
  
"He'll be fine," she smiled reassuringly at her scared brother. Inuyasha groaned and looked up at Kagome unbelievingly.  
  
"Kagome....," he breathed, reaching up a hand to touch her cheek. "I'm sorry," he choked out, tears beginning to run down his face.  
  
He was crying. Kagome was shocked. She had never seen him cry before. "It's all right. It's okay now," she said soothingly, stroking his hair. He pulled her down to him suddenly and kissed her with so much emotion that she was overwhelmed and felt as though she might burst into tears as well. Sota covered his eyes and made a disgusted sound. Inuyasha finally released her and Kagome laid her head on his chest carefully.  
  
"If you ever hurt me again, I'll kill you myself," she threatened, hugging him gently, "I don't want to go through any more pain."  
  
Inuyasha managed a smirk and nodded. "I love you. Don't forget that or let me forget that ever again." His quiet voice was so weak sounding it scared her.  
  
"I'm just going to get you a cold cloth for your head. You can rest now if you'd like." He let out a small sigh as he relaxed against the cushions. Sota looked at Kagome wide eyed.  
  
"You guys are gross. Don't do that when I'm around." Kagome laughed and tousled his hair.  
  
"Okay, I'll try not to. Sorry you had to see any gross stuff, but you'll be finding girls to be gross with soon enough." Sota made a face at her and stuck out his tongue, heading back to his room to play games on his computer. Kagome went into the bathroom and found a cloth. She let cold water run over it in the sink, feeling angry and relieved at the same time that Inuyasha was back. Who had done this to him? She knew the answer almost before she finished asking herself the question.  
  
Koga.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~  
  
Author: You know this is the first time that I haven't had something interesting or completely random to say at the end of a chapter. It you'd call what I normally write interesting. lol. Oh no! Koga's gonna get his butt kicked by Kagome. Hands off her Inuyasha! lol. I'm gonna make this short and sweet. I hope I didn't do that for last chapter too. Well..... *gulps* I guess we're having a lemon chapter cause the final vote is 3 yes, 2 no, 1 undecided and a whole crap load of people that didn't say. lol. *shudders* I'll post a chapter and where the lemon starts there will be a note saying to review with your email if you want the lemon so the people who don't want it won't be forced to read it. I'll email people the lemon, who review with their email. Okee? Okay! You guys better not make fun of me cause I've never written one before. What do you write? lol.  
  
Sephiroth: *smiles arrogantly* Just pretend you're with me.  
  
Author: *frowns confused* You want them to watch tv? I guess I don't know what lemon is then.  
  
Sephiroth: *glares*  
  
Author: *laughs and kisses Sephiroth's cheek* Awww you're so cute when you're evil and angry.  
  
Sephiroth: *smiles happily and huggles author*  
  
Author: I promise that the next chapter will be a longer one. I feel bad posting it when it's so short, but it was a good place to stop. (I ran out of ideas. lol. Just kidding) It wasn't necessarily a cliffhanger, it was just where the story said, "I need to stop now."  
  
Story: Oh sure, blame me. You wrote me!  
  
Author: Did not. *sticks out tongue at story* You know what you should all do now? Who can guess?  
  
Inuyasha: *waves hand frantically in air* Ooh! Ooh! I can! Pick me! Pick me!  
  
Author: *whacks Inuyasha with a stick* Down boy! Well, time's up. And the right answer is: *drumroll* Review! Just click that little button down there on the bottom left of the screen. Come on. Come on. You know you want to. *looks at readers with pleading eyes* Please? Just for me? *offers money as bribes for reviewing* Well, I'm going to head to bed now so I'll see you all next chapter. Thanks for reading! :D *gives every reader a cookie* 


	6. Ch6: I'm sorry, so sorry :P

Author: Wow! Sixth chapter! I was very inspired by who knows what yesterday and I typed up this chapter and half of seven. I kind of got stuck though because I got to the lemon. Yup, that's right. You heard me! The next chapter is the lemon! Hurray for those who want a lemon and bleh for me and those people who didn't want one. Either way, it's coming next chapter.  
  
Sephiroth: Oooooo I like lemons. The fruit that is. *snickers*  
  
Author: Shut up you moron. No one finds you in any way amusing.  
  
Sephiroth: *pouts* Oh. Sorry. *looks rejected*  
  
Author: *kisses his neck seductively* Don't worry. Morons turn me on. Attractive silver-haired morons that is.  
  
Sephiroth: *tugs on her arm* Let's cut these author's notes short and find somewhere more 'isolated'.  
  
Author: *nods, grinning* As you wish.  
  
This is a little legend thingy like you have on a map:  
  
"Blah" - people talking  
  
'Blah' - people thinking (sometimes people think without them too, just to confuse you :P)  
  
(Blah) - me making my obscure not mattering little comments to torture you all.  
  
(I am very disappointed with Dreamboat Annie for not reviewing the last chapter and shall punish her severely on Monday. If she reviews the past chapter before Monday, then she shall only be partially mutilated)  
  
Inuyasha: By the way, the author doesn't own me, or any other freaking people in this story, so don't sue her or I'll sharpen my claws on you! *crunches into ground when he hears a distant 'sit boy'*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kagome went back into the living room, deep in thought. She felt someone looking at her and glanced up to see Inuyasha smiling at her with his golden eyes half closed. She came over to the couch and folded the cloth, then placed it on his forehead.  
  
"I can't leave you alone for five minutes without you getting in trouble," Kagome smiled fondly. Inuyasha made a face at her, but reached for her hand and took it in his.  
  
"Stay with me," he whispered painfully. Kagome nodded and shushed him.  
  
"You don't have to talk. I'll stay with you until you're feeling better. Would you be more comfortable in my room?" Inuyasha nodded and frowned.  
  
"But I can't really........walk....on my own," he said in a quiet voice. Kagome studied him for a moment, trying to think of a way to get him from the couch to her room. She leaned over him and kissed his lips softly.  
  
"This may hurt."  
  
Slipping an arm under his back, she lifted carefully and got him in a sitting position. She pulled Inuyasha to his feet and winced at his pained groan. Slowly, she began walking down the hall towards her bedroom. Her mom walked out of the end bedroom and let out a shriek at the sight of Inuyasha.  
  
"What happened?! Is he all right?!" Mrs. Higurashi (A/N: sorry if I spelled it wrong) ran to the pair and began examining Inuyasha, causing him to squirm uncomfortably.  
  
"Mom, he'll be fine," Kagome said in a voice that told her mother to back off, "I'm taking care of it. I have some medicine to give him as well. Trust me, okay?" Her mom looked at her with a new found respect and nodded.  
  
"I'll be in the kitchen or my room if you need anything sweety."  
  
"Thanks mom." Kagome continued to her room and was exhausted by the time she got to her doorway. "Geez, Inuyasha. You weigh a ton," she whined. Inuyasha didn't reply, but shifted some of his weigh onto his wobbly legs. They finally collapsed on the bed together, Inuyasha making a sharp gasping noise from the pain.  
  
Kagome quickly backed away so she wouldn't hurt him further. Gently helping him get under the covers, she lay next to him and placed a hand on his chest, feeling the troubled breathing as his chest rose and fell.  
  
"My poor Inuyasha," she said softly to him. He turned his head towards her and half-smiled. He seemed more tired then her from their trek down the hall. "You should rest now. Sleep will help the healing."  
  
Inuyasha nodded drowsily and pulled himself towards her, whimpering like a puppy. She wrapped her arms around his wounded body and kissed his cheek. "Sleep tight." The light outside was quickly fading and Kagome waited until Inuyasha was asleep to slide slowly off the bed and grab her pyjamas out of the drawer. Just as she pulled off her uniform, Inuyasha stirred and opened his eyes, searching for her. She went red and quickly covered her body with her pyjama pants. "Inuyasha! Don't look!"  
  
Inuyasha's mouth turned up in a small smirk and he closed his eyes again. She pulled on her pyjamas, all the while keeping a sharp eye on the hanyou. Once finished, she climbed under the covers next to him and put her arms around Inuyasha again. This was where she belonged. By Inuyasha's side. There was no where else in the world she'd rather be. (A/N: I'd love to live inside a giant cake. Mmmm. Edible walls. *ahem* Sorry.)  
  
Kagome's mom paused at her door and smiled at the two teens curled up in each others arms. As long as all they were doing was sleeping she'd be tolerant. She walked away and headed for her room with a smile still upon her face.  
  
The next morning Kagome woke up to the feeling of something touching her neck. Opening her eyes, she found Inuyasha laying half on her and kissing her neck softly. "It's about time you woke up," Inuyasha smiled at her.  
  
"May I ask what you are doing?" Kagome asked with a raised eyebrow. Inuyasha shrugged and smiled seductively, continuing to kiss her. Kagome pushed him back gently. "Inuyasha?"  
  
"I haven't quite decided yet. We'll make it up as we go." Kagome pushed him off her and sat up, stretching her arms above her head. Inuyasha's arms snaked around her waist and pulled her back against his body. Sota came in yawning and rubbing his eyes. Kagome quickly pulled out of Inuyasha arms and moved to the edge of the bed.  
  
"Morning sleepy head," she grinned at her groggy brother. Sota stuck out his tongue at her and sat in her lap. It had been so long since he'd done that. It seemed like he had grown up overnight.  
  
"Will you make me something for breakfast?" he asked hopefully, looking at her with pleading eyes. The way he was curled up in her lap was adorable.  
  
"Okay," she smiled, "but only if you keep Inuyasha busy while I'm making it." Inuyasha looked at her, hearing his name and blinked a couple times.  
  
"What?"  
  
Sota bounced happily onto Inuyasha and pinned him to the bed. Inuyasha winced slightly and wrestled the kid into submission when he saw Kagome was leaving. He tried to follow her but Sota jumped on him, stopping his attempt at getting up. The stupid kid didn't realize how much he was hurting him. A sudden impulse came over Inuyasha and he resisted the urge to sharpen his claws on the hyper child.  
  
"You love my sister don't you?" Sota asked suddenly. Inuyasha looked down at the brat to see an unusually solemn look on his face.  
  
"Well I....um."  
  
"Are you gonna marry her?" Sota grinned, "and have kids and I'll be an uncle and you'll have to be nice to me then and-"  
  
Inuyasha clamped a hand over Sota's mouth. "Whoa whoa whoa. Slow down there. I don't know about this mar-ry thing, but yes, I do love her. You can tell, huh?"  
  
"Duh," Sota said, rolling his eyes like that was the stupidest question he'd ever heard. Inuyasha mulled this over in his mind. Would Kagome ever maybe consider being his mate? It seemed too good to be true. Sota poked him and giggled.  
  
"You guys are gonna have puppydog kids," he laughed and jumped out of Inuyasha's grasp before the hanyou could respond.  
  
"Puppy kids! Puppy kids!" he sang, running down the hall towards the kitchen. Inuyasha chased Sota and tackled him down in the doorway of the kitchen, hurting himself more then the stupid kid. Kagome looked up sharply from her cooking and shook her head.  
  
"Settle down you two!" Kagome yelled as they rolled into the living room. Inuyasha appeared in the doorway again a moment later, panting and leaning on the doorframe for support. Grinning at Kagome, he dodged Sota's next attack and ran to her, grabbing her in his arms and using her like a shield. Sota laughed and tried unsuccessfully to reach around his sister. Kagome's mom came into the kitchen, wondering what all the commotion was about.  
  
"Hey! All of you! Go outside if you're going to roughhouse. I'll finish up in here," she smiled. Inuyasha nodded obediently and scooped up Kagome, running for the front door. Sota quickly followed him. Once they were all in the front yard Inuyasha dropped Kagome in the snow and jumped into a nearby tree.  
  
"Thanks a lot!" she yelled up at him. Inuyasha perched on a wobbly branch and smirked down at them.  
  
Kagome sighed from her spot on the ground and suddenly wondered how her friends on the other side of the well were doing. Had she hurt them when she went inside the house without saying goodbye? She felt a desperate need to find them and apologize. A boy's voice called out to Sota and the three looked behind them, in the direction of the voice, to see one of Sota's friends gesturing at Sota. "Come and play!" the smiling boy yelled, "we're having a giant sleepover!"  
  
Sota excitedly ran inside and got permission from his mom to go. Grabbing a few necessities he headed outside again and ran after his friend. "Well, I guess he's gone for the day," Kagome smiled sadly. She could feel the snow soaking into her pyjamas and shivered. Without even so much as a glance at Inuyasha, she stood and went back inside. Her mom had finished making breakfast and had set three places at the table. The window was un- curtained and open, letting in cold sunlight and a strangely pleasant breeze. She sighed deeply and watched her mom's back as she bustled about and then sat at the table with a plate of food and a newspaper.  
  
"Get back here wench!" a voice snapped from the front hall. Kagome turned around and smiled sweetly at Inuyasha.  
  
"SIT."  
  
Inuyasha crunched face first into the floor and her mom looked up from her meal and newspaper in surprise.  
  
"What was that for?!" Inuyasha sputtered, painfully standing up. Kagome just smiled and grabbed herself some breakfast as well. An indignant looking Inuyasha sat beside her, clearly sulking.  
  
"Want some?" Kagome said, offering a forkful of food to Inuyasha. (A/N: that's right. You heard me. FORK!) He turned his head away and she caught him by surprise as she stuffed the food in his partly open mouth. He swallowed quickly and glared at her. What was up with her? She was acting really weird.  
  
"Well, kids, I'm off." Kagome looked at her mother who had just finished eating and was rinsing off some dishes in the sink. (A/N: man she eats fast.)  
  
"Where are you going?" Her mother blushed slightly and continued cleaning the kitchen.  
  
"I have a..........date," she admitted sheepishly.  
  
"A date?! With who?!"  
  
"It's no one, really," her mom smiled at her, "Grandpa knows a guy who buys his little charms and what-nots and their son came to pick up an order. We hit it off and it turns out that he's not much older then me. He asked me out for a late dinner tonight."  
  
"Way to go mom!" Kagome smiled, "but why are you leaving now then?"  
  
"I have some shopping to do first and I want to get a new outfit. You kids will have to fend for yourselves for the rest of the day."  
  
Kagome stood and hugged her mom. "Well, I hope you have a good time."  
  
"Me too," her mother grinned.  
  
Inuyasha leaned back in his chair, watching the two talk. He was still trying to figure out why she had sat him. 'I didn't even say anything!' A soft growl emitted from the hanyou's mouth and Kagome looked at him with a frown. Turning her attention back to her mom, she walked her to the door and watched her putting on her coat.  
  
"I'll see you later sweety," she smiled, "behave yourself." Kagome waited until her mom was in her car to shut the door. 'Everyone seems so happy. Why can't I be?' She let out a scream when something grabbed her around the waist. Inuyasha flinched and his ears flattened at the harsh sound.  
  
"Why are you so jumpy?" Inuyasha asked with concern.  
  
"I'm sorry," Kagome whispered, hugging him. 'How could she tell him she was angry because she just was? She didn't have an explanation for it. She just felt like being sad and lashing out at people. Maybe she was feeling guilty about her friends. Maybe if they went back and talked to them she'd feel better.'  
  
"I want to go back," she spoke into Inuyasha's chest.  
  
"Back where?"  
  
"To see everyone. I have to tell them I'm sorry for the way I acted. I'm such a spoiled brat."  
  
Inuyasha brought her face up to his and kissed her softly, causing her to melt against his body. He pulled back leaving her wanting more. "You may think you are, but we all love you no matter what happens. Trust me. They've probably already forgiven you."  
  
Inuaysha couldn't understand why she was beating herself up about something that he had caused. It was his fault things had turned out this way. "Tell you what," he said thoughtfully, "if we go back and talk to them do you think it will help you not feel so bad about this?" Kagome nodded against him. "All right. Then let's go."  
  
Kagome smiled at him with teary eyes. "Really? Right now?"  
  
"Feh. Why not?"  
  
Kagome smiled brighter and grabbed him by the hand, dragging him towards the well house. This girl sure had a mind of her own. He liked her that way though. It always kept him on his toes. She clamoured down the stairs and jumped into the well, Inuyasha following suit.  
  
***500 years in the past***  
  
A loud 'smack' rang out through the forest and a certain lecherous monk fell to the ground, seeing stars floating about him. Shippo laughed and sat on Miroku's back. "I told you she was grumpy."  
  
Sango stormed away, fuming mad. "How dare he! That little....grrrrrrr!" Miroku sat up slowly, letting the spots clear from his vision. What was so bad about him hugging her? He hadn't meant to let his hand slip that low. It was an honest mistake! Why couldn't she see that?  
  
"Sango!" he called, staggering after her. She wasn't in the mood for more of his excuses and walked faster. How could he expect her to trust him at all if he couldn't even keep his own hands under control? She shouldn't have kissed him. That had been a big mistake. Her emotions had been too much for her and he was being so kind and un-perverted. Stupid girl. I should know by now that he'll never change.  
  
She stopped dead in her tracks, not even feeling Miroku bump into her back. "Kagome?!"  
  
She ran forward to the embarrassed looking girl and embraced her tightly. "I thought you would never return to us! Thank god you're back. I missed you!"  
  
"Sango," Kagome choked out, "you're hurting me." The demon-slayer pulled back with tears in her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry. I'm just so happy to see you. I see that pathetic dog isn't with you. Smart girl."  
  
"Actually.....," Kagome smiled sheepishly, "he's waiting for me to talk to you guys before he shows himself."  
  
"I'll tear him apart! This is all his fault!"  
  
Kagome shook her head at Sango's anger. "I'm partly to blame and I wanted to apologize for any pain I may have caused you while I was upset." Sango embraced her friend once again and cried into her hair.  
  
"Everything is forgiven. I'm just happy you're back." Miroku came over and tried to hug Kagome as well, but both girls shot him a look that clearly said 'touch and die'. Shippo heard the commotion and came to see what was happening.  
  
"KAGOME!!!!!!!!" The kitsune flung himself into Kagome's arms and squeezed her even tighter then Sango. He sniffed her curiously. "How come you smell like Inuyasha?"  
  
Sango raised an eyebrow when Kagome blushed. "I was just sad Shippo, Inuyasha hugged me to cheer me up."  
  
"Yay! Everyone's happy again!" he cried joyously and hopped onto Kagome's shoulder. "I have my mommy back."  
  
Kagome gave him a strange look before smiling and pulling him down off her shoulder into a hug. Turning back towards the direction of the well, Kagome smiled and took a deep breath. "SIT BOY!"  
  
A loud crunch was heard and moments later a very pissed off looking hanyou stormed into the clearing by the hut. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR WENCH?!"  
  
"To get your attention," Kagome stated simply, "you wouldn't have heard me otherwise." Inuyasha growled and muttered curses under his breath.  
  
"Stupid wench. You could've used my name."  
  
He felt the icy glares of Sango and Miroku on him. "What? What's your problem?" he muttered at them.  
  
"You shouldn't treat Kagome like that after what you put her through," Sango frowned, "the least you could do is beg and grovel for her forgiveness."  
  
"Beg? Ha! Right. Like that'll happen."  
  
Miroku stepped up beside Sango. "Careful Inuyasha, women are very dangerous when they feel that they aren't in control of us." Sango whacked him on the back of the head and he rubbed it painfully. "See what I mean?"  
  
Inuyasha smirked and went to Kagome, hugging her tightly and crushing Shippo between their bodies. "Ow! Lemme out!" Shippo whined, squirming to get away. Laughing, Kagome pulled away and released the poor kitsune. Sango and Miroku both looked shocked to see Inuyasha and Kagome not fighting for once in their lives.  
  
"I think I'm already forgiven," he smirked, holding the blushing Kagome in his arms. Sango smiled at Inuyasha.  
  
"It's about time you stupid dog. I was beginning to think you two would never be together." Miroku placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Kind of reminds you of another couple doesn't it?" he hinted, smiling.  
  
She shook her head. "I don't know any other couples." Miroku pouted and backed off, walking to the side and sitting on a tree root.  
  
"I just can't win," he sighed, leaning his forehead on his hand. A claw swiped the air where his head had just been. "What the?!" he exclaimed, diving forward away from the demon that had just appeared.  
  
It cackled evilly and sneered at the monk. "Hand over the jewel shards and I won't make you suffer a long and painful death, I'll just kill you instantly." Inuyasha let go of Kagome and charged at the demon, transforming Tetsaiga as he pulled it from its sheath.  
  
"Iron reiver soul stealer!" (A/N: I don't know if that's what it's called or if that's how you spell it so mm *sticks out tongue* :P) A large gash appeared in the demon and it healed again just as quickly. Sango threw her boomerang with a loud war cry and the demon knocked it back at her, sending her crashing into a tree and pinning her against it. She cried out in pain as it crushed her into the trunk.  
  
"Sango!" Miroku cried and ran to her, pulling hard on the boomerang and managing to free her. As he pulled her free a clawed hand stabbed through his chest and his eyes went wide as he collapsed forward onto Sango, blood spilling all over her clothes.  
  
"No!" Kagome yelled angrily. She realized she had failed to bring her bow and arrows with her. It was up to Inuyasha. She felt herself going into shock as she watched her friends be hurt one by one. Shippo charged at the demon courageously and used foxfire. The fire engulfed the demon and nothing happened. The demon laughed and smacked Shippo away like a harmless bug. She heard his fragile body crunch to the ground and ran to his side.  
  
"Shippo?! Are you all right?!" Shippo whimpered and managed to climb into her lap. She rocked him gently and prayed that Inuyasha could handle this demon on his own. She saw too late that the demon was heading straight for her. A red blur blocked its way and attacked it angrily, slicing it up into little threads. The threads began binding back together and Inuyasha continued hacking at them, cutting them into smaller and smaller pieces.  
  
Kagome spotted the jewel shard in part of the demon that the rest of the chunks were being attracted to and sucked in to heal once again. Putting Shippo down, she ran for the piece of flesh and drove her hand into the bloody mess, being drenched into the stinking thick liquid and pulled out the jewel shard triumphantly. Inuyasha barely missed her with his claws as he continued to tear at the monster.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome called to him, trying to get his attention, "stop it! It's dead now!" Inuyasha turned on her and grabbed her roughly, throwing her to the side. A deep growl came from his throat and she could see his eyes were glowing red. No. He was losing control over his demon self. He came for her again, claws drawn, prepared for a one hit kill. Kagome closed her eyes, not wanting to see his face when he attacked her.  
  
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Author: Heeheehee, cliff-hanger! *sings* Cliffhanger, hanging from a cliff, and that's why he's called Cliffhanger! (From "between the lions") *ahem* Inuyasha's gonna kill her! Oh no!  
  
Random person: Oh no!  
  
Banana: Oh no!  
  
Kool Aid Jar Guy: Oh yah! *looks around nervously when everyone stares at him and slowly backs out of fic*  
  
Author: Yah........anyway, since next chapter is the lemon so I'm demanding lots and lots of reviews before any posting shall happen. Mwahahahahaha! I'm evil! EEEEEEEEVIL! I can't be on the internet for much longer so I need to finish this up fast and post it. You know the drill anyway. Give me lots of reviews = I post. lol. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I'll try and be nice if you guys respond with good feedback and I may update soon. See ya next chapter. 


	7. Ch7: THE LEMON!

Alex Trabec: On today's episode, the author will have to show her intelligence is high enough to actually be allowed to write a story that everyone else has to suffer through and read. (And to prove that bananas really do talk) All right Author. Before we start I must comment on how hot you look. Seriously. Yowza.  
  
Sephiroth: JUST ASK THE DAMN QUESTIONS! *points masemune threateningly at Alex*  
  
Alex T: Okay okay. Here we go. I'm picking the questions so if you have a problem with that then bite me. OW!  
  
Author: What?  
  
Alex T: YOU BIT ME!  
  
Author: *looks sheepish* But you said to. Can't I at least get bonus marks for obedience?  
  
Alex T: No! Now be quiet. I am more important then you and it's my turn to talk. *ahem* #1: A site used by millions of people to post their versions of the plots in books, movies, animes, games and much much much more, or just read other people's stories.  
  
(Jeopardy music) Do do do do do do do *pause* do do do do (little higher note) DO do do do do do, do do do do do do do - dup - do do do do do do. Bom bom. lol.  
  
Author: What is fanfiction?  
  
Alex T: Dammit! I mean good, you got it right! Fine. Next answer. #2: A small furry cute adorable animal, with a really big butt, that is worshipped by all or they are instantly slaughtered on the spot for not worshipping the god appointed ambassador of the world.  
  
Author: Who is Neko?  
  
Alex T. GRRARGH! THAT'S IT I QUIT! *pouts* YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO GET THEM RIGHT! THEN I CAN'T LOOK SMART WHEN I KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS!  
  
Sephiroth: I hate to break it to you buddy, but that thing in your hand there has all the answers on it.  
  
Alex T: Shut up you. No one asked your opinion Mr. "I'm gonna take over the world but can't because I got my ass kicked by a pansy."  
  
Sephiroth: You take that back!  
  
Alex T: *laughs* You're not the boss of me!  
  
Sephiroth: How bout I just kill you and be done with it?!  
  
Alex T: *looks nervous* Wait wait! okay! Tell you what, if you can answer one of my questions right then I'll leave you be with your scrumptious author lady okay?  
  
Sephiroth: Bring it on! *starts doing cheerleading moves*  
  
Alex T: O_O Right............. Anyway. #3: The sound a dog makes.  
  
Sephiroth: Oh! Oh! I know this one! What is Bark!  
  
Alex T: Nope sorry. We would've accepted 'Bow-wow' or 'Ruff'.  
  
Sean Connery: Rough. That's how your mother likes it, ain't it Trabec? Uh. Uh.  
  
Alex T: I'm going home and I'm putting a gun, IN MY MOUTH.  
  
Sephiroth: Nooooooooo! I wanted to win a Ferrari!  
  
Author: This isn't wheel-of-fortune stupid. That's on next.  
  
Sephiroth: Oh. Right.  
  
Author: Anyway, getting back to our normal program. We're right here. Where we left off. Wherever that was. So yah, thanks for all the reviews! It was awesome to see the incredible response I got about the lemon chapter! It's nice to know there are so many sickos and perverts out there! lol. Just kidding. I hope you all enjoy the chapter and leave lots of nice long reviews about how wonderful I am to write one for you since I've never even freakin kissed a person and I didn't have a clue what's really supposed to happened during.................'that'. :P Tell me how well you thought I did. It sounds like I made a porno flick or something. lol. Anyway, I'm gonna shutup now. So go and read! Our lord and master, Foamy, commands it! And the unbalanced account turkey does too!  
  
Turkey: Doesn't *gobble* balance! *gobble* What's the *gobble* point?!  
  
Author: Yayness! Time to read! (And by the way, I'm not emailing the lemon to people. It's already in this chapter. For those of you who don't want to read it there's a warning about when it starts so you can just skip over it. :) Have fun! :P  
  
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She flinched, waiting for his claws to pierce her flesh and heard a cry. Opening her eyes she found Koga blocking Inuyasha from her. "Run Kagome!" he yelled through clenched teeth. Kagome pushed herself up and ran towards Sango and Miroku. Inuyasha dodged around Koga and tackled her to the ground, almost crushing her from the force. He raised a hand in the air over her face, ready to strike, and she quickly grabbed his head and pulled his face to hers, kissing him.  
  
He slowly relaxed against her and she could feel him kissing her back. She pulled away, shaking from fear. He had been about to attack her..................or worse.............  
  
Inuyasha blinked and looked into her fearful eyes with confusion. What had he just done? He smelled the blood all over the clearing and stood to find the demon torn to shreds and his claws bloodstained. Flashes of his rage came back to him. Was he about to..........hurt Kagome? That thought was too much for him to bear. He looked at her frightened face again and took off running into the trees.  
  
Sango was crying softly and shaking Miroku. "Miroku, come on. Be okay. Wake up!" A small groan came from the monk and she laid him down on the ground, trying to stop the bleeding. Shippo limped over to Kagome's shaking body and snuggled against her. Koga stood still, torn between hunting down Inuyasha and comforting Kagome. Kagome tried to push her thoughts out of her head and cradled Shippo in her arms, crawling over to Sango and Miroku.  
  
"Is he all right?" Kagome whispered to Sango. Sango stared at Miroku wide eyed, like she couldn't hear anything. "Sango," Kagome spoke again, touching her friend's arm. Sango could barely pry her eyes away from her fallen companion. "He'll be fine. Trust me," she said with a forced smile. Sango threw her arms around Kagome and cried helplessly.  
  
Kaede came back to her hut moments later and found them like that. Fearing the monk's ability to live much longer, she moved him into the hut and began applying medicines and bandages to his body. Sango sat beside Miroku, holding his hand and refusing to move for anything or anyone. 'You have to be all right,' she thought angrily, 'how can I ever tell you how much you mean to me if you're dead?!'  
  
Kagome was still struggling with her own emotions. Shippo had been curled in her arms since she picked him up and Inuyasha hadn't returned in the five hours that had passed by. Koga had remained by her side, still a little shocked that he had seen Inuyasha alive in the first place. The stupid hanyou was supposed to be dead. What had gone wrong?  
  
"He should awaken soon," Kaede smiled at Sango, finishing up her work at last.  
  
Sango nodded gratefully. "I still won't be at ease until I see him awaken myself. I'm sorry. I don't know why I need him to live so much."  
  
"It's because ye be in love with the monk," Kaede smiled, leaving a surprised looking Sango inside the hut as she headed back outdoors. Koga tapped Kagome lightly.  
  
"Maybe we should give them some privacy," he whispered to her. 'And more importantly I can get some alone time with Kagome,' Koga thought to himself. A grin spread over his face as he lead Kagome and Shippo outdoors as well.  
  
Sango watched Miroku's every movement anxiously. She even laid her head over his chest to make sure he was still breathing. When was he going to wake up?! A small groan answered her question and Miroku's eyes slowly opened.  
  
"What happened?" he groaned hoarsely. Sango smiled happily down at him with tears spilling down her face.  
  
"You saved me.............. You were helping me up and the demon attacked you. You almost died....."  
  
Miroku looked at her with genuine surprise. "I don't remember much," he spoke slowly, "I just know, I was so afraid you were badly hurt. I had to get to you before it was too late. You're all right aren't you?" Sango laughed at the thought that he was worried about her when he was the one with a deep gash through his chest.  
  
"I'm fine. Sitting here for so long gave me time to think. I realized something while I've been waiting for you to wake up." Miroku frowned, confused, when she took one of his hands into hers. "I realized that when I thought you were dead, I didn't want you to be dead. I know it may sound selfish, but I didn't want you to die until I knew how you really felt about me. I know now that if you died I wouldn't be able to live without you. The thought of it makes my chest hurt."  
  
Miroku stared at her. She couldn't live without him? Did that mean what he thought it meant? If so.......should he take a chance and tell her what he'd wanted to long ago? Maybe he should. 'The worse she can do is......well.....I'd rather not think about that.'  
  
Putting all pervertedness aside, he squeezed Sango's hand lightly. "I love you, my demon slayer," he whispered softly. Sango looked at him strangely, like she didn't believe him, for a moment before she smiled and leaned over his broken body, touching her soft lips to his. He responded by pulling her in closer with his free hand and kissing her deeply, like he had longed to do for so long. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Sango pulled away to breathe momentarily. "I love you too," she blushed, her own words sounding strange and alien to her. They resumed their task and Miroku tried to ignore the fact that she was hurting him. The good definitely outweighed the bad.  
  
Inuyasha tore angrily at anything that got in his path. How could he?! He had almost hurt Kagome. He could've killed her! At least Koga had enough common sense to stop him. Stupid Koga! As much as he despised that wolf, he knew in his heart that Koga could probably take much better care of Kagome then he ever could. He leapt up into a tree and slumped against the trunk.  
  
Resisting the urge to scream in fury, he wrapped his arms tightly around himself and cried silently, his shoulders shaking violently. He couldn't have her. He wouldn't allow anyone to be with Kagome if they endangered her life. And that included himself. He didn't wish to go on living if she couldn't be a part of his life. What was the point?! He might as well die and get it over with. Useless mutt. His crying continued in a torrent of pain and sorrow. He knew he couldn't go on without her.  
  
Kagome sat outside watching Koga and Shippo sleep. Koga was curled up beside her protectively and she still held Shippo in her arms. She wanted to cry so badly and yet the tears simply wouldn't come. Her whole body was so full of grief that it hurt and yet she showed no emotion. Staring seemed to be the only thing she was capable of at the moment. He wouldn't really have hurt her....................would he?  
  
She stood carefully, so she wouldn't cause Koga to wake up. Gently laying Shippo in his arms, she smiled for the first time that night at the sight of them together like that. Kaede had long since retired into her room and Miroku and Sango were doing who knows what in their small room. Everyone else had managed to get some sleep. Why not her? A sigh escaped her lips and she mechanically walked towards the woods, wishing there was some sort of answer for all the questions that were spinning inside her mind. One in particular kept repeating itself.  
  
'Inuyasha? Where are you?'  
  
Wandering aimlessly for quite some time, Kagome realized she was lost and noticed as well that she didn't particularly care. She leaned back against a tree in defeat and slumped to the ground. She looked up through the leaves at the small stars that were rapidly appearing in the sky. So perfect. She felt sick just looking at them. A rustle in the branches above her alerted her senses and she fearfully scrunched down into a ball. She didn't want to know what sort of creatures hunted after dark.  
  
A different sound caused her to listen closer. Was that.................crying?  
  
"Hello?" she called nervously into the tree. The sounds stopped and she froze, wondering if she had made a mistake. The sniffling sounds that quietly followed confirmed her suspicions that someone was up there. But who? 'If I go up there, who knows what it could be, but I can't just leave someone all alone to suffer. I have to help.'  
  
Kagome jumped up off the ground a little and managed to grab hold of the bottom branch. She swung herself up, feeling a little dizzy, and continued upward towards the dark figure she could see. Branch by branch she made her way up and the shadow still hadn't moved. What was it waiting for? ...............her? She had almost reached the thing when her fingers slipped and she lost her grip on the branch above her, causing the branch beneath her feet to give out.  
  
She screamed as she hit branches on the way towards the hard ground. She was going to die. Maybe that was why she had climbed in the first place. Almost to the bottom, she heard crashing above her as well and a strong hand caught her by the wrist, claws digging in as it held fast. She felt herself being pulled back up into warm, comforting arms. "I-Inuyasha?" she whispered questionably.  
  
"Are you insane?" the sad voice muttered, "y-you could've been killed."  
  
"I was looking for you," she sighed, pulling herself closer into his familiar warmth. Inuyasha jumped to the ground, still holding her, and the moonlight revealed his tearstained face that was streaked with blood and dirt. He set her gently on the ground and set to work on making a fire.  
  
"I can't have you freezing to death," he explained softly. Inuyasha flinched as Kagome wiped his cheeks with her hand. He didn't deserve her touch. Not anymore.  
  
"You've changed," she observed, seeing a deep sadness in his expression. "Please. I felt so scared when you looked at me with those demon eyes. Let me have my true Inuyasha back. I want the Inuyasha that wasn't afraid of my touch." Inuyasha looked at her, letting his golden eyes get lost in hers. The look she gave him made him close his eyes. He had made her sad. This was his fault. Her arms wrapped around him and pulled him forward. When he opened his eyes, Kagome was watching him expectantly, the firelight dancing beautifully in her eyes. He couldn't.  
  
Tired of waiting, Kagome leaned forward and kissed him gently, letting him know she still trusted him. He was her protector and always would be. Inuyasha pulled away quickly. "Koga would do a much better job," he choked, eyes brimming with tears.  
  
"I don't really care," Kagome said truthfully, "because I don't want Koga. I love you." He allowed her to pull him back into a kiss and she leaned her body over his, pushing him down into the grass.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~WARNING: LEMON STARTS HERE!!!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
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Why are you still scrolling down?!  
  
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-Lol sorry. Just kidding. This is your last warning. If you DON'T want to read this lemon then keep scrolling down until you see more of these WARNINGS and ALERTS! lol. Then you'll know it's 'all' over. Thank you and enjoy. :P  
  
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Inuyasha's arms reluctantly went around her waist, loving how her body fit perfectly against his. 'What exactly was she planning?' Inuyasha wondered as her hands ran down his sides, giving him shivers. Her kisses moved from his mouth, to his neck as she explored every inch of him. Pulling open his shirt a little, she began kissing down the front of him. His heart was beating faster and he heard her breathing quicken.  
  
He put a gentle hand on her cheek and directed her mouth back to his. Pressing gently on her lips with his tongue, she obligingly parted them and let his tongue tangle with hers. He breathed in her wonderful scent, still finding it hard to believe that she was his. After all they'd been through, she still wanted him. That thought made him feel a warm glow in his chest. She loved him. Her hands moved to his ears and rubbed them carefully, making a pleasant purr come from his throat. He felt rather embarrassed, but the massaging felt so good. His purrs died as she moved her attention back to his lips, kissing him feverishly.  
  
Inuyasha wove his fingers into her hair, using his hold to deepen the kisses. It was getting harder to breath, but his senses were definitely heightening and a slow throbbing was beginning in his nether regions. Kagome knew she couldn't stop herself even if she wanted to, and she definitely didn't want to. She continued to kiss him as her hands went to his sash, untying it skillfully and throwing it to the side. She pulled back from him and let her eyes travel down his exposed chest. He surprised her suddenly, wrapping his arms around her back and flipping both of them over so she was underneath. He gazed down at her for quite some time, loving her pout, her eyes, everything. She reached her hands up towards him and slowly slipped his outer shirt down his arms, removing the underneath one as well, all the while grinning seductively. Two could play at that game.  
  
He ran his kisses up and down her neck and paused at the edge of her sweater. Looking into his eyes, she nodded and lifted the shirt over her head, with his help. Her bra gave him trouble though. She giggled as he ran his claws along the fabric, searching for a clasp or tie of some kind. Finding nothing, he whimpered and kissed her again. Her breathing was getting heavier as his kissing became more eager and daring. He ran his tongue down the valley between her chest, leaving a burning trail as he went. He nipped at her skin playfully and she began moaning softly, begging for more. Sitting up slightly, Kagome reached behind her back and unclasped her bra, letting it fall into her lap. Inuyasha paused, momentarily, taking in the way she looked before him, half-naked in the firelight.  
  
His hands slid up her sides causing her to shudder uncontrollably and he ran his tongue over the edge of her breasts, one then the other. Her body arched beneath him, offering him more of her. On a sudden impulse he tore off her skintight jeans, needing her more then he thought. She had control over him even when he was the one doing the 'administering'. Kissing and nipping down her bare stomach, he could hear her gasps and moans as he continued downward. He had to pull back and catch his breath. He was tightening painfully almost to the point of bursting. He was stronger then this. He planned on outlasting her.  
  
Kagome concentrated on breathing, his kissing and exploring almost too much for her. She bit her lip as he ran his tongue along the inside of her thigh, slowly, almost painfully. He was teasing her and she was at his mercy. A slave to his hands and mouth. His nails dragged lightly across her skin causing her to quiver and moan louder. She had to get control of herself. No way was she letting him have all the fun. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him tightly against her and moved her body slowly under his causing him to growl. It wasn't that he wasn't enjoying her 'movements', he just hated not being in control.  
  
He crushed her lips with his and pulled off her underwear, leaving her completely naked. His to take. He slid his fingers inside her, needing her, but refusing to end it so soon. Her hips thrust up in response and he clenched his teeth, hardening to the brink of insanity. "Kagome," he gasped, feeling her hands tightening on his shoulders. She opened her eyes, not even remembering closing them. He lifted off her for moment, removing his fingers from her womanhood, and striped off his pants. Kagome tried to catch her breath as he leaned back over her and continued ravishing her body. She felt as though her skin was on fire. She was burning for Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha loved the way her soft skin felt against his, warm and wet. Her scent was tainted with arousal and it was making it harder for him not to take her here and now. He pumped his fingers inside her fiercely, causing her body to writhe beneath him. He used his hands to hold down her hips as he continued his assault with his tongue, lapping up her flowing juices. She was screaming mentally and her head jerked from side to side.  
  
Not able to stand it any longer, Inuyasha moved forward and entered her, hard as rock. She gasped and her walls tightened around him. He thrusted into her and her hips rose to meet him, falling into a natural rhythm. The feeling of their bodies together was incredible. Their skin slapping against each other and Kagome breathing into his ear, asking for more, encouraging him. She clenched around him so tightly that to hold off his climax took almost all his remaining strength. Kagome cried out wordlessly and knew as she gasped against Inuyasha's sweat covered body that this was making love, not sex, like her stupid friends at home always bragged about.  
  
Inuyasha was still shaking and couldn't hold off any longer. Burying his face in her hair he howled and released himself into her body. He breathed heavily and slumped against Kagome, just as tired as her. He nuzzled her exposed neck and wanted desperately to make her his mate. Kagome's body shifting under his was almost enough to make him go for round two. He sank his fangs into her neck suddenly and pumped a portion of his blood into her, making her go ridged beneath him. When he finally withdrew and rolled off her, she weakly wrapped an arm over his chest.  
  
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-Okay you sheltered innocent uncorrupted little peoples. You can start reading again. Yayness! Wait.......................:P Thanks for bearing with me. Wow! My first lemon. My mother would be so proud. Actually, she probably wouldn't , but hey, what can you do. Read on my faithful.......readers.  
  
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"Now I'm yours," she breathed, barely above a whisper. Inuyasha gazed at her lovingly and she blushed, realizing exactly what he was looking at. Kagome yawned loudly, causing Inuyasha to laugh cockily at her.  
  
"Did I tire you out that fast?" he grinned. Kagome smiled and hugged him to her, shivering slightly. He pulled his haori over them both and she cuddled into his warmth. Kagome nuzzled into his neck and enjoyed the firelight shining over her mate's body. Inuyasha felt her body relax and her breathing become even and quiet. Wrapping his arms around her protectively, he smiled and closed his eyes, welcoming sleep.  
  
Koga awoke the next morning to find Kagome gone and the little kitsune cuddled in his arms. He dropped Shippo in disgust. "The hell?" he uttered. 'What exactly had taken place here? And more importantly, where was Kagome?!'  
  
Shippo stirred and stretched his arms over his head cutely. "Where's Kagome?" he whined, looking around.  
  
"I was wondering the same thing," Koga growled, "we have to find her!" (A/N: Heroic music playing in the background. lol)  
  
Miroku woke up tiredly with Sango lying next to him, snuggled into his body. He stroked her hair gently, hoping to wake her up 'accidentally' and maybe get some action before everyone else woke up. Sango stirred and moved her head onto his chest, still sleeping. Miroku sighed and decided he could wait a little longer. (A/N: No, you sickos. They didn't have sex. They kissed and talked and slept together. As in "sleeping". Like the non-sexual kind. So there :P)  
  
Koga sniffed the ground angrily, searching for Kagome's scent. He picked up a faint trail and looked at Shippo with an annoyed expression. "If you are planning on coming with me, you need to run fast and keep your mouth shut." Shippo nodded and easily matched Koga's pace as they ran through the trees. Koga grinned. 'Once I find her, I'll make her mine. Then that stupid mutt will be out the picture forever!'  
  
Inuyasha jerked awake from his nightmare, covered in sweat. Kagome turned her face towards him and smiled. "You okay?"  
  
Inuyasha nodded and shook his head to rid himself of the gory images. He ran a hand through Kagome's dark hair and pulled his hand back suddenly, staring in shock. "What?" Kagome giggled at his expression, "what is it?" He pointed at her hair and she frowned and felt the top of her head.  
  
EARS?!  
  
"What the hell?!" she screamed, "I have dog ears!" Inuyasha started to laugh helplessly at her distress and she stood up angrily. Feeling in her mouth, she found a set of fangs as well and her finger nails were sharp claws. Inuyasha couldn't stop laughing and she wanted desperately to hurt him. Severely hurt him.  
  
"SIT BOY!"  
  
Even though Inuyasha was already on the ground he left a nice little crater. She gathered up her clothing and got dressed while he dragged himself painfully out of the hole.  
  
"Owwwwwww," he moaned, standing up slowly "you could've at least waited until I was dressed, or in a less painful position to do that! Stupid wench!"  
  
Kagome raised an eyebrow, "then why don't you 'SIT' while I decide how to punish you." Another loud crunch sounded and Kagome smirked, satisfied. Maybe now he'd behave himself. Inuyasha jumped up, ready to get his revenge and saw the look on her face. Smiling and feigning innocence, he quickly grabbed his clothing as well and slipped back into it. Kagome sighed, then smiled when she felt his arms wrap around her waist. "You do realize you're going to have to explain to my mother why I have dog ears," she smiled sweetly.  
  
Inuyasha scooped her up into his arms and kissed her lips softly. "Like hell I am. Why should I put my life on the line here?"  
  
"Because it's your stupid blood that caused it to happen," Kagome smiled. Inuyasha growled and pretended he didn't hear her reply. Reaching up one of his hands, he scratched behind her ears, like she had done to him the night before. He was pleased to hear a happy purr emit from her throat.  
  
"I like 'em," Inuyasha grinned, "they make you even cuter." Kagome stuck out her tongue and jumped out of his arms. She laughed when he tried to grab her and dodged easily. Was it just her imagination or was she faster? Inuyasha paused for a moment, sniffing the air interestedly. What was that wonderful smell? He turned towards Kagome and frowned, realizing it was her. That smell.............  
  
He dove at her, barely managing to grab hold. He sniffed all over the front of her, making her giggle and struggle to escape. "Inuyasha?! What are you doing?!" He stopped and looked at her strangely.  
  
"You smell like a hanyou!" he growled, sniffing her neck, "and it smells..........really good........." She pushed him away when he began nipping at her neck and stood up again.  
  
"What are you talking about?!" she growled in return.  
  
"I've done something to you," Inuyasha realized, wording his thoughts out loud, "my blood must have..............oh crap." They both sensed a presence at the same time and looked to see Koga standing at the edge of the clearing, looking at Inuyasha with murderous intents. Kagome stepped between the two.  
  
"Koga, I'm fine. It's okay. He didn't hurt me."  
  
"Kagome, no!" Inuyasha yelled, shoving her away from Koga, "don't let him smell you! I think you're in heat!" Kagome stared at him in shock.  
  
"I'm what?"  
  
"You know," he explained, desperately trying to keep her away from Koga, "when female animals are willing to mate they go into heat and all the males can smell an incredibly irresistible scent coming off them. We just can't help ourselves. I suggest you control your scent better."  
  
Koga was still staring at Kagome, trying to absorb the fact that she had ears similar to Inuyasha and bite marks on her neck. That meant............that meant.........................  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" Koga howled, lunging for Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha dodged to the side and growled angrily. "Get over it you stupid wolf! She chose me!" Koga's eyes narrowed dangerously and he growled in return.  
  
"You forced her didn't you?! Why would anyone like her want someone like 'you'?" The way Koga said 'you' with obvious disgust only added to Inuyasha's rage. He started for the youkai, ready to tear him apart and a hasty 'sit boy' sent him head first into the ground. Kagome stepped between the two again and put her hands on her hips.  
  
"Both of you, calm down!" she snapped, causing Koga to freeze in his spot. "Koga," Kagome said softly, walking over to him, "I'm sorry, but I love Inuyasha. I can't control the way I feel about him. Or you for that matter. You'll always be my friend, nothing more. I told you that already." Koga nodded silently, still shooting evil glares at Inuyasha, who was slowly picking himself off the ground.  
  
"I had just hoped................" Koga sighed heavily and wrapped his arms around Kagome, nuzzling into her neck. "I'm going to miss you, then. If he's your choice."  
  
"What do you mean 'miss me'? You can still see me anytime you want," Kagome mumbled into his chest. Koga shook his head and smiled.  
  
"I have to remember that I'm a leader of a pack. I have to take responsibility for that eventually. I've been neglecting them a lot, so I really should head back." He gazed down at her with such love that it made Kagome blush and she could hear Inuyasha getting extremely pissed off behind her. "I'll think about you everyday that I'm gone. Good-bye my Kagome." Placing a light kiss on her cheek, he released her and walked past Inuyasha with a smirk upon his face.  
  
"This isn't over mutt," he promised, just loud enough for only Inuyasha to hear. As soon as he was gone from the clearing Inuyasha ran to Kagome and scooped her into his arms protectively. Shippo bounded from the bushes seconds later.  
  
"KAGOME!" The little kitsune jumped onto her head and hugged her neck excitedly, nuzzling her and snuggling against her happily. "I've got my mommy back!" he squealed, getting a death grip on the young miko.  
  
"Okay Shippo," she smiled, "I'm happy to see you too." She wrapped her arms around him and Inuyasha growled jealously. Shippo sniffed all over Kagome suspiciously.  
  
"Why do you smell like Inuyasha? And you got ears like Inuyasha's!" He pulled her mouth open gently. "And fangs!" Shippo's eyes went wide and he looked at Inuyasha. "I have a daddy!" Flinging himself on the hanyou, he squeezed so tightly Inuyasha could barely breath.  
  
"Okay....kid.......get.....off......," Inuyasha gasped. Kagome laughed and hugged them both.  
  
"It's like having a second family," Kagome smiled. Shippo snuggled against Inuyasha and the poor dog demon looked around awkwardly, wondering what he was supposed to do with him.  
  
"Am I gonna have brother's and sister's?" Shippo said even more excitedly, "lots and lots of 'em! Huh? Am I? Please daddy. Tell mommy to have lots of pups for me to play with."  
  
Inuyasha rubbed a hand through the back of his hair, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Um.....Shippo, that's kind of Kagome's choice. And what's with all this daddy business, runt?" Shippo's face fell sadly and he climbed back into Kagome's lap.  
  
"I thought you and mommy were together now..........I've always wanted a dad after mine died.......so I thought..........maybe........" He buried his face in Kagome's chest and his little shoulders heaved with sobs. Kagome raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha and he threw his hands in the air helplessly.  
  
"What?!"  
  
Kagome just shook her head and rocked Shippo, trying to stop his crying. "You could be a little more sensitive you know," she whispered to him, "even just playing along would've been fine. The poor kid has no parents and we just reminded him that they're dead. Come on. Take him for heavens sake."  
  
Inuyasha nervously pried Shippo out of Kagome's arms and hugged him. "Come on now.........pup...........we don't need to see any tears......." Shippo sniffed and wiped him eyes.  
  
"You don't like me," he sighed, "you don't want to be my dad."  
  
"I never said that," Inuyasha spoke quickly, "in fact, I can't think of anything more in the world I'd want." Shippo brightened instantly and threw his arms around Inuyasha. Inuyasha shot Kagome a look that said 'this better be worth it' and patted Shippo's back. The three headed back for Kaede's hut, Shippo riding on Kagome's shoulder. Kagome took Inuyasha's hand in hers, smiling happily. 'I love you' she mouthed silently at him. He blushed slightly, but his face broke into a proud smile.  
  
It seemed to be too good to be true. Kagome was his mate and she was his forever. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her and that he'd remain by her side until they died. He just didn't know how to word these things. He wished he could be as bold as Shippo when it came to speaking his mind. Would she want pups? He'd love a house full of them, but as he explained to the eager kitsune, it was all up to Kagome. She was the one in charge of all the decisions. He was supposed to be the master, damnit!  
  
They broke through the trees, into the clearing around Kaede's hut. Sango and Miroku were talking over near the front of the hut and Kaede was in the back area, picking herbs. Inuyasha smirked, seeing the monk's hand go slowly around her lower waist. He was coming awfully close to death. To his surprise, Sango didn't react when his arm rested around her. Being Miroku, of course, the stupid monk automatically assumed that if he wasn't dead yet then he could go for even more. His hand slipped up Sango's shirt and he tried to kiss her and grope her at the same time.  
  
"HENTAI!" Sango yelled angrily, jumping up and beating him down with her boomerang, "I thought we agreed you wouldn't do this until after the wed................." She trailed off seeing the others standing there, watching, with amused looks on their faces. Kagome hugged Sango understandingly.  
  
"I'm glad to see he's okay," she smiled at the blushing demon-hunter. Sango nodded then looked strangely at her.  
  
"Kagome......? What happened? You have......." She looked from Inuyasha's happy face to Kagome and grinned. "Awwww, you guys are so cute. Congratulations!" She gave Kagome an extra squeeze before releasing her and stepping back on Miroku as he was trying to get up. "Why don't you all come inside. We'll plan our next move from there."  
  
The small group went inside the hut, following Sango, and Miroku groaned. Why couldn't he control himself? WHY? A sound caught his attention at the edge of the woods and he stood up quietly with the help of his staff. A beautiful woman peered out of the bushes at him and stepped forward a little nervously.  
  
"Hello sir," she said politely, bowing to him, "I seem to have become lost in the woods. Could you help me find my way back to my home?" Miroku felt sorry for her and she was hot so why not help her? Why not indeed!  
  
"I'd be pleased to help you," he smiled charmingly, "tell me, are you married?"  
  
The beautiful woman shook her head and smiled sweetly. "No, why do you ask?"  
  
Miroku blushed and looked at the ground, thinking of Sango. "Um........no reason........."  
  
"I am Sae," she introduced herself, giving him a smile so beautiful he almost melted.  
  
"M-Moriuk...I mean......I'm Miroku." He shook his head slightly to gain some brain function back.  
  
"Very nice to meet you Miroku. I'll be forever in your debt. Unless I can think of some way to reward you once we get back to my home........" She gave him a suggestive smile, then looked around thoughtfully. "I think my home is somewhere in this direction. It's so spooky in the woods. I'm so glad to have a big strong male to protect me." Sae took hold of Miroku's arm gently and leaned against him as they walked. He was more focused on her then where they were going.  
  
Sango and Kagome giggled at something they were whispering about and Inuyasha rolled his eyes. So much for planning on their next move. Naraku wasn't dead yet. This was no time for giggling about who knows what. Kaede came through the door a few minutes later, looking worried.  
  
"I was just talking to a villager from the nearby village and I thought to come and warn ye about what he said. There be a vile temptress in these parts. Their village was already hit and they say there be a demon that takes form of a beautiful young woman. She captivates men with her smile and charm and claims to be lost. In truth, she is leading them back to her den where she then devours them and takes their soul. Evil creature she be. Goes by the name of a girl who was left behind to die in an accursed village. Some sort of horrid ritual was said to be performed there. I can't quite place her name at the moment though."  
  
The group stared at her wide-eyed. Kagome was the first to speak.  
  
"Do you think she's around here? Is everyone in our village safe?"  
  
"No one be safe," Kaede said softly, "there always be some threat on our lives. We must be on sharp alert for this one. She be very smart." Sango glanced around the room suddenly.  
  
"You don't suppose Miroku..............?"  
  
They all headed outside to find the missing monk. Inuyasha glanced around with a deep frown on his face. Something wasn't right.........  
  
A sword point came out through the front of his stomach and time froze. He looked down to see the tetsaiga protruding from his middle. The sword pulled slowly back out and dragged his life with it as it withdrew. But..............who? He gasped and fell to his knees. 'I died upon the blade of my own sword.' Many thoughts passed through his mind as the light slowly faded. 'Who will Kagome have to love her now? I can't.......protect her.......anymore...............it hurts.......'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~  
  
Author: You are probably all wanting to ask me a question right about now.  
  
Readers: You bet your ass we are.  
  
Author: Let me guess. You want to know how the hell Inuyasha became impaled upon his own sword, do you not?  
  
Readers: *nod eagerly* Yuppers!  
  
Author: Well that's too bad! Mwahahahahaha! You'll just have to wait for the next chapter.  
  
Readers: Awwww. You're mean! We hate you!  
  
Author: *cries*  
  
Black Mage: *looking sadly at his poisoned cookie* But I like cookies.  
  
Sephiroth: EVERYONE! GET OUT!  
  
Everyone except author: *leaves*  
  
Sephiroth: *huggles author* Don't worry. I'm sure everyone loved your chapter. That's why they're all going to review right now. And leave you nice loving long reviews about how much they enjoyed reading it. *gives readers a 'look'* *whispers* Hurry up and review!  
  
Author: Do you really think they liked it?  
  
Sephiroth: Of course they did. Now shut up and come here.  
  
Author: *runs away giggling*  
  
Sephiroth: *chases her into the back room*  
  
Random wallpaper roll: Don't listen to them! It was me who wrote more then half the chapter! Me I say! It's slave labor! At one cent per hour and no coffee or lunch break my sanity has been driven to the very edge! Review and it will go towards the 'let's save wallpaper from slave labor' fund! Feel free to email Pearl_13_@hotmail.com as well and tell her how evil she is to make me type with my frayed ends. I can only type two words a minute. And that's fast for wallpaper! Oh no! She's coming! Ahhhhh!  
  
Author: What are you doing?! Get back there! They'll want chapter eight done soon! Just for that, I'm docking you a days pay!  
  
Random wallpaper roll: *cries and runs back to typewriter* (she didn't even give it a computer! Gasp!) lol.  
  
Author: Thank you everyone for so many reviews. Maybe we can top it with this chapter's reviews! Yay for us! I'm really tired now, so I'm gonna go to bed and get some sleep. Hopefully this will be posted by morning. Have a good night and morning and afternoon! I love you all! *huggles* :D 


	8. Ch8: Angst Galore

Author: ::dances around in circles until she falls down:: Hello everyone! I just want to say that I felt the lemon was unappreciated. ::pouts:: I went through all the disturbing trouble of writing the thing and you guys didn't even take the time to comment in your reviews on what you thought of it. I hope you don't expect me to write anymore now cause I'm hurt. :(  
  
Sephiroth: Awwwww ::huggles::  
  
Author: ::sniffs:: Thank-you. While I was typing this chapter I was having a hard time remembering that Miroku is gone and I kept putting him into parts and then thinking 'wait a minute'. lol. I'm kind of out of it right now cause I'm trying to study for my biology test and I'm currently crutching everywhere thanks to my stupid water-on-the-knee problem. Yeowch it hurts. I was just reading over some past stuff and I realized how long it's been in some of my stories since I last did a disclaimer. :P I probably should remember to do that.  
  
Chelsey: Let me! I'll do it!  
  
Author: All right. Go on then.  
  
Chelsey: La escritadora no quiero tu tonto...........::ahem:: I mean........the author does not own any characters in this chapter. They are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. Whew. All done! ::winning battle music plays::  
  
Author: Yayness! Good job! Now I'm going to head back to my biology so I don't fail the class. (Mr. Pue is the devil ::ahem::) So I'll see you all at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Last Chapter: (Inuyasha glanced around with a deep frown on his face. Something wasn't right.........  
  
A sword point came out through the front of his stomach and time froze. He looked down to see the tetsaiga protruding from his middle. The sword pulled slowly back out and dragged his life with it as it withdrew. But..............who? He gasped and fell to his knees. 'I died upon the blade of my own sword.' Many thoughts passed through his mind as the light slowly faded. 'Who will Kagome have to love her now? I can't.......protect her.......anymore...............it hurts.......')  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, running to her fallen mate. She slapped his face gently until he responded with a soft groan. "Inuyasha? Inuyasha, what is it?" Kagome asked, not able to find anything wrong with him. Kaede noticed some glowing substance on the ground and examined it suspiciously.  
  
"Look at this!" she exclaimed, taking a handful of the stuff and showing it to others.  
  
"What is it?" Sango questioned nervously.  
  
"It be a highly dangerous substance. A hallucinogenic waste product that causes temporary visions of insanity and distorts the-" She realized the others were staring at her blankly.  
  
"Um, in English?" Kagome smiled. Kaede smiled back and nodded.  
  
"It's a powder left by demons that makes ye have strange visions. A deadly weapon because if ye "see" yourself die then the mind believes it to be true." Inuyasha held his stomach, wincing slightly, as he stood up. Kagome opened his haori part way and saw blood seeping from a cut on his stomach.  
  
"Inuyasha.......," she said with wide eyes, "What did you see happen just now?" Her voice had a sense of urgency that worried Inuyasha. He looked at her confused and leaned forward against her body.  
  
"I........I saw tetsaiga stabbed through my own stomach........" The group gasped slightly and Sango nodded carefully.  
  
"So even if the image is only imagined, the mind makes it happen. But then...............Miroku......." Kagome helped Inuyasha stand up fully and turned to Kaede.  
  
"What do we do then? How can we fight a power like that?" Kaede opened a small pouch and sprinkled herbs on Inuyasha's wounds.  
  
"Ye have to find the monk before the she-demon makes it back to her den. If not..............." Kaede looked at the ground sadly, "ye will be short a friend in this group." Sango's eyes burned with anger.  
  
"Then let's go! We have to find him!"  
  
Miroku smiled dreamily, fallen into an almost drunken stupor. He had no idea the kind of effect she-demon was having on him. He stumbled along beside her, entranced by the "woman's" glowing beauty. Something was nagging at the back of his mind he ignored it. What could be more important then this beautiful woman he was leading home? He didn't even notice the wicked grin that had appeared on the demon's face. She had him completely under her control.  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome ran ahead since they were faster then the rest of the group and Sango and Shippo rode on Kirara. Inuyasha had found a trail with Miroku's scent and they were running along it as fast as they could. Kagome had her bow and arrows strapped onto her back and she kept glancing around nervously, sensing others around them as they ran.  
  
"Do you feel that Inuyasha?" she asked him in a quiet whisper. He nodded, still keeping his eyes forward.  
  
"Ignore it. We'll be fine." Kagome accepted his answer, feeling a little safer. Inuyasha wouldn't let anything happen to her. They reached a place where the scent seemed to branch off in two directions and Kagome stopped, almost crashing into Inuyasha who had came to an abrupt halt. He closed his eyes and moved his head side to side. "Damnit! This is a trick, but I can't tell which path is false!" He looked at Kagome with a slight frown. "All right wench, you'll have to take one path and I'll take the other. Just follow the scent heading off around there. We'll meet back together once we find where the paths go. That stupid demon will regret ever the day she was made."  
  
Kagome ignored the 'wench' comment and nodded. "Okay. I......I guess I'll see you soon." She felt like this was the last time they were going to see each other. For some reason a feeling of dread was overwhelming her. Inuyasha had already turned to start along his trail. "I-Inuyasha?" she spoke softly. He turned back, eyes softening at her expression.  
  
"What is it?" he asked, walking forward and pulling her into a hug.  
  
"Promise me you'll find me again. I want you to promise we'll see each other again." Inuyasha shook his head a let out a soft chuckle.  
  
"Of course we will stupid. Why wouldn't we?" Kagome's eyes were still afraid and pleading. A small sigh escaped his lips as he tightened his arms around her. "Fine. I promise you that, under no circumstances, will I not come back to you. I love you too much to lose you to some stupid weak demon anyway." He ran a gentle hand down her cheek and tilted her chin up towards him, placing a tender kiss on her lips.  
  
"Thank you," she smiled, after he pulled away again.  
  
"That's what I'm here for," he winked and started down his path again, pausing to look back at her. "Be careful."  
  
Kagome nodded and watched as he turned into a red blur, heading away from her. 'I really should go now. We have to save Miroku,' she thought to herself. Turning to the direction she was supposed to go, she began to run as well.  
  
Sango tightened her grip on the small kitsune, who seemed a little nervous about the speed Kirara was travelling at. "Don't worry Shippo. We're almost there," she said comfortingly into the fox demon's ear, "once we find Miroku, I'll make you some treats and we can all have a nice long rest. We could even have some chocolate........" She laughed when Shippo's ears perked up happily. Shippo hadn't spoken a word since they'd left and it was worrying Sango. She hoped they hadn't made the wrong decision by bringing him along. He had already seen too many loved ones die. But Miroku WAS NOT going to die. Not as long as she was here.  
  
Kirara flew lower to the trees, scanning for the demon's lair. They could see Inuyasha far ahead of them, running at what appeared to be the speed of light. "Follow him," Sango said to Kirara. The large cat changed directions and followed the hanyou. Sango narrowed her eyes. She was going to rip this demon to shreds.  
  
Kagome felt her strength beginning to fade as she ran on. Her body wasn't used to this kind of exertion. She was having a hard time concentrating on Miroku's trail and watching where she was going at the same time. Her head made contact with something solid and she fell to the ground in pain. When she looked up, a beautiful woman was leaning over her with a concerned look.  
  
"Are you all right? That was quite a fall you took."  
  
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Kagome yelled, scrambling backwards on all fours. She could see through the demon's "mask". The hideous creature growled at her and made no effort to keep the woman image around it any longer.  
  
"You thought you could rescue the monk, but it's too late. Don't worry, he was delicious. And you shall be my next meal. Perhaps I'll use your form to catch that pathetic hanyou who's heroically heading to my home to vanquish me."  
  
Kagome growled deep in her throat. "You leave him out of this. I'll let you take me, but only if you promise not to harm him."  
  
"You'll 'let' me?" the demon laughed, "I could simply take you if I wanted." Kagome pulled out her bow and arrows and readied an arrow on the quiver, focusing her now stronger miko powers into it.  
  
"Just try it," Kagome snarled fiercely. She fired the arrow towards the demon's heart and it hit its mark, causing a blinding flash. The demon simply laughed again.  
  
"You expect something that weak to hurt me? Pathetic mortal. You'll never learn." Grabbing Kagome by the hair, she yanked her forward and Kagome dropped her bow as she clawed the ground trying to grab hold of something. Anything. 'I hope Miroku's still okay,' Kagome thought, trying the block out the pain she was feeling. 'Please let him be all right.' The she-demon took Kagome all the way back to her lair and chucked her carelessly into a small barred cell, locking the door behind her. Kagome painfully pushed herself up and wiped blood off her cheek where she had come in contact with the stone wall of the cell. What could she do now?  
  
Inuyasha felt Kirara following him and felt a little more confidant, knowing he had backup if he needed it. Rounding another corner, he could see the demon's lair in the distance. The sight of Kagome dragging herself along the path made him stop dead in his tracks. "Kagome!" he cried, running to her side and lifting her up into his arms. "Kagome? What happened?!"  
  
"The demon...........too strong............." Inuyasha held her to him, growling angrily. How could he have let this happen? He shouldn't have sent Kagome off on her own.  
  
"I'm sorry," he whispered, stroking her hair, "I won't let her hurt you anymore. I'll keep you safe."  
  
"I love you Inuyasha," Kagome smiled sweetly, lifting a knife behind his back, where he couldn't see it. The blade glinted in the sun and a strange grin appeared on Kagome's face.  
  
"Kagome? What is it? Why are you-"  
  
"INUYASHA! WATCH OUT!" a desperate voice yelled from behind him. He roughly shoved Kagome away from him, when he felt a searing pain in his back. He wasn't quite sure what was going on, but the sight of Kagome with a knife dripping with his own blood was enough to unnerve him.  
  
"Kagome? What are you doing?" he choked, feeling the shallow cut in his back.  
  
"Finishing what should have been done a long time ago. Kikyo was right about one thing, you deserve to die for all the horrible things you've done. I HATE YOU!" Kagome lunged for him again and Inuyasha grabbed her wrists, pinning her to the ground. Kagome laughed and leaned up to kiss him. Inuyasha shoved her away in disgust. This wasn't Kagome. She tasted...........wrong.  
  
"You! Demon! Show yourself, so I can kill you and be done with it!" Sango and Shippo ran to his side and got into battle stance. Kagome laughed evilly and her form seemed to melt away, leaving behind a hideous she-demon whose cruel smile was dripping with venom. "What have you done with Kagome?!" he snarled at her.  
  
The demon laughed again and shook her head. "Funny, that you people never learn. Un-like all the pathetic demons you've fought in the past, I'm not going to tell you my entire life story and my plans before I kill you. I'm not that stupid." A sudden stream of an acidly substance sprayed from the demon all over the three friends. Sango screamed and covered her face, falling to the ground and Shippo was lucky enough to dodge the attack. Inuyasha jumped out of the way of the attack and made his way over to Sango, covering her with his haori. He didn't want to lose any more friends.  
  
"Thank you," Sango smiled, clearly still in pain.  
  
"Shippo! Find Miroku and Kagome!" Inuyasha barked at the frightened kitsune. He nodded and ran around the demon, who clearly didn't like the idea of letting anyone escape. Inuyasha drew Tetsaiga from its sheath and ran at the demon to distract it from Shippo. The demon spun around and blocked the attack with a smirk. "What the hell are you?!"  
  
"My name is Sae and you would do well not to forget it." She began to laugh insanely at him and Inuyasha backed away, a little freaked out. Flickers of black and white images surrounded them and he could see piles of dead bodies lying all around the demon, only now she appeared to be a young woman. The beautiful kimono she was wearing was torn and blood-stained. Inuyasha steadied his weapon and charged at her again. He was thrown back by a sudden flash of light and when he could see again, the demon was gone and he was laying on a dark path. There was a small twin deity statue up ahead and he stood up, looking around confused. The demon was gone, as was her scent.  
  
"What the hell's going on?!" he yelled. He turned to grab Sango, but her body and his haori were both missing. "DAMNIT!" his cursed, feeling extremely frustrated.  
  
He started forward again, hoping to find some answers and felt a strange pulse go through his body when he passed by the small statue on the path. Shrugging it off he noticed strange chanting in the distance and shadows of people marching slowly down into a village, carrying softly glowing torches that flickered against the dark blackness around them. He didn't know why he was so afraid, but his heart was pounding heavily and he put his weapon away quickly so he could silently follow the group.  
  
Kagome stood shakily and refused to let herself cry. Sorrow and pain filled her body, but for once she didn't want to be the stupid little schoolgirl who needed rescuing. Her ears swivelled around, listening for any sounds within the cave. Something was in the cell with her and it was breathing heavily. Inching forward carefully, Kagome leaped onto the thing and pressed her claws near its throat. It made no attempt to fight back.  
  
"Miroku?!" she cried, pulling her razor claws away from him quickly, "are you okay? Miroku? Speak to me." She pulled the monk's unconscious form into her lap and stroked his hair gently. Maybe if he woke up, then they could think of a way to escape together. A soft groan came from him when she moved him again and she peered down into his face. "Miroku?"  
  
His eyes fluttered open and widened at the sight of Kagome. "Kagome-sama! You've come to save me!" he cried joyfully, throwing his arms around her.  
  
"Actually........," she sighed a little awkwardly, "I'm captured too." Miroku's face fell and he slumped against her without making any of his usual attempts.  
  
"We have to get out of here," he spoke softly, "it's coming back to devour my soul. And you'll be next. I-I don't want my friend's to be murdered. The demon's already done enough damage as it is. I'm sorry I dragged you into this."  
  
Kagome smiled and absently stroked his hair again, like he was a frightened child. "It's all right. We wouldn't have just let her take you without a fight. Especially not Sango. She'd go to hell and back to find you."  
  
"Really?" he asked, in a hopeful voice.  
  
"She loves you, baka. Why wouldn't she?"  
  
The sheepish monk closed his eyes. "I just never dreamed of having anyone so wonderful. Now I might never she her again."  
  
"Which is why we're busting out," Kagome grinned, "and we have to be fast about it, so get up."  
  
The pair discussed escape plans for a while and when neither of them had come up with a good idea they slumped to the ground. "It's hopeless," Kagome growled, banging a fist against the cell wall. A bit of cement crumbled away, exposing a small hole between the bars and the wall.  
  
"Kagome! Do that again!" Miroku said urgently. Kagome put all her rage in the next punch and a good-sized hole appeared. Kagome managed to squeeze through, but it still wasn't big enough for Miroku.  
  
"Crap," she sighed, "Miroku get back." Slamming her foot into the concrete, she knocked another chunk out and Miroku managed to get his body through the hole.  
  
"Many thanks, my brave friend," he said, smiling and kissing her hand, "now let's get the hell out of here." Neither of them remembered how they had gotten into the cell room in the first place so they worked together, trying different doors and hallways and generally getting more lost then they already were.  
  
"We're going to be trapped in here forever," Miroku moaned. Kagome could see he was getting tired from all this walking and reached out a hand to stop him.  
  
"Get on my back," she ordered, knowing what a risk she was taking with the lecherous monk, "I'll carry you." Miroku obediently got on and Kagome piggybacked him down the next hallway. "I'm warning you though, monk. Any wandering hands and you'll wish that you were back in that cell with the demon."  
  
"Yes, Kagome," Miroku said sheepishly, grateful to have a break from walking. He was completely exhausted already. Kagome should have just left him behind.  
  
Sango lifted herself up to find Inuyasha lying on the ground, in a kind of trance. His eyes were open and every once in a while his lips would mumble something she couldn't decipher. The demon's eyes were closed and she was sitting against a tree, chanting something under her breath. Sango didn't know if attempting to wake either one of them would be a good idea, but she couldn't just leave Inuyasha like this. She pried Tetsaiga from Inuyasha's iron grip and it luckily stayed transformed for her. The sword was a lot heavier then she had anticipated and it was hard the hold it above the ground. Making her way over to the demon, she kept stopping and making sure its eyes were still closed. She felt that this was somehow a trap. She made it all the way to the demon and stood, looking down at her. The demon didn't even seem to notice her presence as she lifted Tetsaiga and swung it down towards its head.  
  
The demon screamed in pain, jerking awake, as the Tetsaiga sliced through her. Sango fell back and it took all her strength to keep hold of the large sword. Light spilled through the open wound and the demon began to crumble away, dying slowly. Dragging Tetsaiga with her, Sango backed away over to where Inuyasha was. He still didn't respond when she touched his cheek. "Inuyasha?" she called softly, "come on, Inuyasha. Wake up." No sign of life came from the still hanyou.  
  
"Kirara?" Sango yelled, looking for her closest friend. "Where are you?" The fire cat swooped down to her side and nuzzled her cheek. "I need you to take Inuyasha for me while I find Miroku and the others, all right? Just wait outside for me and don't let Inuyasha go anywhere." Kirara licked her cheek to let her know she understood. "See you soon," Sango smiled nervously, "take good care of him." She ran towards the demon's lair up ahead, hoping it wasn't too late for her friends.  
  
Shippo ran through the maze of hallways, nervously calling for Kagome. He didn't like the dark or being alone and the combination of the two was scaring him so much that he wanted to cry. "Kagome?" he yelled again, sounding more and more desperate. A faint reply came and he ran towards the sound. "Kagome? Kagome?! KAGOME?" he continued yelling, following each reply as they became louder. He ran right into Kagome's leg, causing her to scream and drop Miroku with a loud thud. Kagome saw the little kitsune crying and clinging onto her.  
  
"Oh Shippo. It's okay. Don't cry." She hugged him gently and laughed at Miroku, who was rubbing his head and glaring at her. "Don't give me that look. It's not like I dropped you on purpose." Miroku stood again and winced.  
  
"Thanks, but I think I'm gonna walk on my own now. It's a lot less painful." Strange whispers silenced them and echoed throughout the room they were in.  
  
Kagome shivered and held Shippo closer to her. "They said something about a reunion," she whispered to Miroku, who was frozen in place and his face had gone pale.  
  
"I can hear it," he nodded fearfully. A young woman in a blood covered kimono appeared in front of Kagome and touched her face gently, almost sadly. Shippo shrieked and hid behind Miroku when Kagome and all the other strange things happening around them disappeared. The room became silent again. "Kagome?" Miroku's hesitant voice called out into the empty room. She was gone. The door behind them opened and Miroku quickly unwrapped the prayer bead from his hand. They weren't catching him off guard this time.  
  
Inuyasha sighed in frustration. The people he had been following had just disappeared. He'd been wandering this creepy dark village for hours now and there seemed to be no sign of life anywhere. There was a large stone- covered hole on one hill near the village and all the homes were abandoned and dark. Even the eerie red lamps that were lit here and there didn't make the place seem any more friendly. Where was this place anyway? A piece of paper blew by his feet and he grabbed it, reading the faded writing with squinting eyes.  
  
"I have found my way..........to this village by accident and now it won't let me go.............the laughter that often........e- echos......throughout the village is so terrifying I want to..............kill myself.............to escape the fear it instils in me............there's no way out...............and no way in..........you're just................here............whatever you do.........stay away.............from the..............."  
  
The rest of the writing was too faded for Inuyasha to read. He wasn't very good at reading in the first place so instead of fussing over it he just jammed the paper in his pocket. 'Meh. Whatever. He'd find his own way out of this stupid place.' A soft breeze ruffled the edges of his clothing and he shivered slightly. It seemed to be eternal night here. He had to have been here long enough for the sun to start rising and yet no light was even starting in the dark sky.  
  
His thoughts wandered to his friends. He hoped they were okay. What about Kagome and Miroku? Had they escaped? Had he even killed the demon when he hit it? He couldn't remember. He kicked at a patch of grass that was growing in his path. Stupid village. He just wanted to go back.  
  
Kagome opened her eyes and found herself sitting in a dark house. There was a torn, thin curtain hanging a little in front of her and a double door that her back was resting on. When she turned her head to the door her eyes widened at the blood red handprints that covered it. Where was she? She stood up nervously and looked around the room. A flashlight or any light at all would've been nice, but the only thing she could see was the eerie moonlight that shone in a distant window. Fear overtook her common sense and she began to push and lean on the doors desperately, wanting nothing more then to get out of this awful place. As hard as she tried, the large doors wouldn't budge an inch. She was trapped.  
  
Miroku was ready to attack as the door opened the rest of the way and Sango came through. He paused, then narrowed his eyes again. "You're not Sango you evil witch! Show yourself demon! Stop mocking me with images of the people I love!"  
  
Sango stepped forward slowly and sighed. "Miroku, it's me. Calm down."  
  
"I don't believe you," he growled, "come any closer and I'll be forced to hurt you!" Sango stopped and her lip quivered slightly, eyes filling with tears.  
  
"Miroku. Please. Look at me. I'm Sango." Shippo knew from her smell that she was no demon.  
  
"Sango!" he smiled, leaping into her arms. She held the kitsune close to her and he hugged her excitedly. Miroku seemed confused and realized that he'd made a mistake. Again.  
  
"Sango?" he asked nervously. Her eyes met his and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god! It is you!"  
  
"Where's Kagome?" she questioned him, looking around, "have you found her yet?" Miroku moved forward and embraced her, letting Shippo remain between them.  
  
"I don't know what happened. She just...........disappeared........"  
  
Sango buried her face in his chest. "Why can't this all end now? I killed the demon! Everyone should be fine and live happily now! Why are all these things going wrong?!"  
  
Miroku frowned and stepped back a little. "What else is wrong?"  
  
"Inuyasha is in a weird kind of coma. We need to take him back to Kaede. Fast. I'm not sure what happened to him," she explained softly.  
  
"This is all my fault!" Miroku sighed, re-tying the prayer beads tightly to his hand, "If I had been able to resist helping that woman then we'd all be back at Kaede's village and no one would be hurt or missing. Why did it have to happen?!"  
  
A random ghost appeared before them, "because then there would be no point to this chapter........whoooooo..........bye now." The ghost disappeared again, leaving them all confused.  
  
"Chapter?" Sango asked, looking at Miroku strangely.  
  
"No clue," he shrugged, "let's just get out of this place."

* * *

Author: Heeheehee! Poor Inuyasha and Kagome. They're trapped in the village that repeats the same horrible tragedy over and over again each night. (From Fatal Frame 2 for those of you who have played it) Kagome's in the house where they kill the girl so I hope she can get out and doesn't decide to go exploring.............  
  
Sephiroth: I want cookies!  
  
Author: Shutup. Anyway, sorry about the stupid ghost thing near the end of the chapter, but I was bored and decided to add in a little humour to a pretty much serious chapter. I plan on making things less angst and what- not soon and more fluffy, but I felt like trying something different. What did you guys think?  
  
Readers: ::afraid to tell the truth and say it sucked:: Um...........it was great! ::eyes shift back and forth:: Sure...........great!  
  
Sephiroth: ::narrows his eyes:: If you don't like the story then I will be forced to run you through with my masemune!  
  
Adam: Haha. You have to compensate! You must be really pathetic since your sword is so big!  
  
Sephiroth: ::glares:: My sword is big to kill stuff, not to compensate for...............stuff.......that's not big! Don't you have five swords yourself?!  
  
Adam: Well...............um..........  
  
Author: ::rolls her eyes:: Anyway, I'm cutting these author's notes short cause like I said up at the top, I'd like the pass my classes. lol. See you all next chapter. (And please tell me what you thought of the lemon.) :D 


	9. Ch9: Forgiveness

Author: ::waves hello to all the readers:: Hey y'all! How's it going?! Nice to see you all back for my ninth chapter! Only one more and we'll be in the double digits! Dude! That's so awesome! Lol. I'm so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so sorry about how long it took me to update but I have work and my b-day's next Sunday so I've been pretty busy. But I promise that I'll do lots of updating now. Yayayayayay! (Except for when I'm working, but meh, whatever) ::huggles Inuyasha::  
  
Inuyasha: ::looks around confused:: The hell? I thought I was trapped in some creepy ass village?  
  
Author: Well for the purpose of author's notes, I have momentarily freed you.......for now.  
  
Inuyasha: Yayness! ::does a little dance and then acts like his normal tough self again, seeing that the readers are watching::  
  
Author: First things first. Thanks for all the awesome reviews. Here's what I thought about your people's ideas/suggestions/whateverness.  
  
Reply to reviews:  
  
InuyashaGirlie: Yay! You liked my ghost thingy. :P It was the only really un-serious part of the chapter and I just added it in for my own pleasure. I go a little insane from lack of fluff and I needed a break. I love your story 'Get a Clue, Would Ya!' and I'm hoping you update it soon. I reviewed the last three chapters pretty much simultaneously cause I didn't realize you had updated before. ::smiles sheepishly:: I hope my author alert thingy is working now. As for the lemon, I had no idea what I was really writing since I myself have never experienced anything other then hugs. So yah, thanks for the review and I hope to see more of your story as well! (soon!)  
  
Fairy of Dreams: Thank you for recognizing the fact that it wasn't a walk in the part for me to write a freaking lemon that the readers voted yes for. Awww, you love my story. ::blushes:: I'm so touched. Thank you for your wonderful review and I hope you stick with my story and continue reviewing. Many thanks. :D (The lemon was disturbing wasn't it. :S ::shudders:: lol)  
  
Chrisy12: Thanks and well.....um.......I guess I just wrote more so yah. Lol. Enjoy reading!  
  
DemonJon15: If you're not a fan of lemons (I'm not either) then don't read them. Like I said, there are about fifty million warnings before the lemon starts so if you didn't want to read it then it clearly said to keep scrolling and to stop when it says so. The story rating doesn't need to be changed because it is clearly the readers choice whether or not they read it and they can skip it, if they don't care for lemons. Thank you that you at least think the rest of the story is good. I'm not trying to be mean, I really do appreciate your review. Many thanks and I hope to hear from you soon. :D  
  
Shinna: It was a good chapter wasn't it? Lol. Sorry, four word reviews are one of my pet peeves. It says so in an earlier chapter so yah. I updated! :P  
  
Alley-oop: Biology is worthless! But now that school is out, I don't have to care anymore! Yayness! Hurrah! Awww, your review wasn't mean. I liked it! I don't know what's gonna happen, I don't know how they're going to get out of this one..............AHHHHH so many questions........does not ! lol. It is getting quite complicated but all of that should hopefully be cleared up soon. Thanks for the awesome review and see you soon! :D  
  
Mr. Flames: So by saying that the last chapter was better then the others, are you saying that the other chapters suck?! Huh?! Is that it?! That's not very nice. Then you keep saying you want more of the serious chapters and less fluff crap. Well I'm the author and it's not 12:20am here so I can do whatever I want. (If that even made any sense. lol) I'm only updating cause the NICE reviewers asked me to.  
  
Nikita-Pup: Did you know that you are the first person to actually like the lemon. No wait, love it. Lol. Thank you thank you thank you! ::takes a bow and huggles Nikita-pup:: Your kind words will not be soon forgotten and I'm sure that you're ::cough:: not ::cough:: a perverted sex-lover. ;) Here's an update just for you! Thank for the support and I hope to hear more from you soon. :D  
  
Candace: Thankies. I'm glad you thought it was a good chapter. :D ::huggles:: That makes me so happy. Well I know this update wasn't ASAP, but it is an update so I hope you read and enjoy anyway! See you soon! :D  
  
Spike of Doom: Yayness! You liked my story! ::huggles:: Fatal Frame 2 is a game where there are these two twin sisters that get trapped in a village where everyday is a repeat of when a horrible tragedy occurred. They make one twin kill the other to keep the gate to hell sealed. It's really really creepy. I don't suggest you play it in the dark or alone. As for Inuyasha being healed instantly.....um......::ahem:: OH! LOOK! ::points at a random distraction and runs:: lol. I honestly didn't even realize I did that. I'm sorry. I'll try to keep injured people injured for a reasonable amount of time, okay? Thanks for the helpful and great review! Hope to see more reviews from you in the future. :D  
  
Sanci: ::looks at reader critically:: I'm not sure whether or not to thank you for your review when it seemed like you were using it to advertise your story. ::sniffles:: I hope you actually liked my chapter and I might actually get around to reading that story if I can find some spare time from my own writing. Thanks for the suggestion.  
  
angel-yuripa: Thank you for your praises and whatnot! I feel so loved. ::huggles:: Read "Spike of Doom's" little paragraph up above to learn a little of Fatal Frame 2. If you wanna know more I can email some stuff to you. Heehee! Excitement! I felt that the last chapter was a little lacking in fluff, but I'm glad that you liked it anyway. Hope to get another wonderful review from you soon! :D  
  
kagome: Thank for complimenting my lemon. Not many 'good things' were said about it. ::huggles you:: I hope to keep making funny chapter for you and that you'll keep on enjoying them! :D  
  
wave-rider951: I am continuing this fic now, for better or for worse. That's for you to decide.  
  
Author: Okees. I'm back again!  
  
Inuyasha: ::mutters:: Joy.  
  
Author: ::glares and ignores him:: Anyway, as I was saying, Inuyasha is getting locked back in the creepy village-ma-bobber place now so yah. Bye- bye annoying mutt.  
  
Inuyasha: ::fading:: NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  
  
Author: ::smiles:: If I'm lucky, that annoying, cocky hanyou will get his ass kicked by some demon and die for good! I can only hope.  
  
Sephiroth: ::sheepishly walks up to her with an apologetic look on his face:: Um...........my love?  
  
Author: ::sends a withering glare his way:: What?  
  
Sephiroth: I wanted to apologize for the way I.........the way I acted on our honeymoon. I'm really sorry for the things I did, or.....tried to do.  
  
Author: ::looks at him in surprise: You do? You are?  
  
Sephiroth: ::smiles lovingly and brushes some hair out of her face:: Perhaps we should go somewhere more private and I'll explain myself to you. ::glances at the readers::  
  
Author: Um..........I guess........ ::turns to readers:: Well, I guess you guys should get reading now and I'll see you all at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!  
  
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Kagome tried to calm her ragged breathing for fear that someone or something might hear her. She had no idea where she was or how she had gotten here. No matter how hard she tried her petite form wouldn't stop shaking from fear. Hating how weak she felt, Kagome forced herself to stand and walk forward into the ominous looking shadows. She was sure everything within six miles of her could hear the loud pounding of her heart and glanced around nervously at her surroundings.  
  
She let out a scream as something brushed across, then felt quite foolish seeing that it was only the tattered remains of a curtain hanging from the rafters. "Inuyasha?" she called quietly into the black void of nothingness that surrounded her, "hello?" No reply came and she sighed sadly. It was time for her to stop relying on her red-clad hero to come and rescue her and simply get out of this mess herself. Flexing her newly formed claws from not so long ago, Kagome took a deep breath and began her search for an exit out of this hell hole.  
  
Inuyasha felt himself being drawn to a particularly fancy looking sort of house. It looked as though a very rich family had, a one point, lived here. A breeze rustled his silvery hair as he made his way across a run down bridge that connected the village with this alluring home he had seen. The beach, not too far below him, shone an eerie pale white in the moonlight, reminding him of all of the spooky legends he had learned as a child and scoffed at, convinced that no place like those in the tales could ever truly exist. And yet, here he was. Staring, petrified with fear, at an old house and some sand. He'd hate to think how he would react to an actual threat or enemy.  
  
Shaking his head to clear it off all the foolish worries that ran through his mind, Inuyasha continued across the bridge and held tightly to the railing. Painful groaning reached his ears when he neared a hole in one side of the bridge. He peered down into to the hole nervously and jerked back, away from the sight of a drowned body. The woman's pale skin was swollen from the water and her eyes were blank. A shudder ran through his body and he took a minute to catch his breath before slowly inching the rest of the way across the bridge.  
  
He felt like a kid again, scared of every little noise that made him jump and powerless to help himself. He needed to get out of this place. Fast. The large house loomed up in front of him and the battered wood of the building seemed to be decaying before his very eyes. What was this place? Kagome's cold scent drifted to him from further up the path to the house. Kagome was here too?! That thought alone was enough to send him sprinting up the path towards the door of the house. The scent was faint and old, but it gave him hope, knowing that he could still possibly find her and not be alone anymore. A cowardly reason for rescuing her, but it still was a reason.  
  
Reaching for the door handle, Inuyasha pulled gently, then pushed. The door didn't budge. He tried a little harder, but it still held firm. "Piece of shit," he growled under his breath and kicked the door angrily, shattering it into splinters. A smug look crept onto the hanyou's face as he stepped onto the threshold. So much for being locked out.  
  
Kagome jumped when a loud bang sounded from somewhere in the house. She didn't particularly want to know what kind of creature could make a sound like that and walked at a more brisk pace, deeper into the maze-like house. The rooms seemed to go on forever and most were eerie and disturbing inside. One room was almost completely filled with a large stand, covered in creepy dolls, most missing bits and pieces. Kagome backed out of that room, wishing she could find some way out of this retched place. She paused, peering around a corner and gasped at the sight of Sae kneeling down in the hall. She quickly held her breath hoping that the demon hadn't heard her. Her heart leaped joyfully when Inuaysha came around the opposite corner from the one she was hiding behind.  
  
Inuyasha rounded another corner, excited that he seemed to be getting closer and closer to Kagome. He halted suddenly, seeing Sae directly in his path. His hand automatically went for Tetsaiga and he looked down, shocked, when his hand closed around nothing. Tetsaiga was gone. Flexing his claws he stepped forward and growled at the bewitching demon. "Get up and fight, Sae. This ends now." No response came from the kneeling figure and he felt a little of his anger be replaced with curiosity. "Sae?" he spoke softly, taking another step towards her. It was a trap; it had to be a trap. Why else would she be acting this way?  
  
A quiet sob came from the shaking form and caused Inuyasha to become alarmed. Was she.................crying? The demon's tear-stained face slowly lifted up and she stared at him blankly, shaking and whimpering. Anger at what this demon has done to him and his friends dissolved and he closed the distance between them, kneeling down in front of Sae and touching a hand to her face. Her voice spoke softly, with an eerie ghost- like sound to it.  
  
"They left me.................they're all........gone......."  
  
"Hey....," Inuyasha spoke nervously, "are you all right....?"  
  
"THEY LEFT ME! MY SISTER LEFT ME TO DIE! WHY DID THEY LEAVE ME HERE?!" Sae struck Inuyasha's chest with each angry word, but he made no move to stop her. This didn't seem like a demon....... She seemed almost........human....  
  
"Sae? It's okay........I'm here. And Kagome's here somewhere. You aren't alone." The demon looked up into his face with scared eyes. She seemed unsure of whether to believe him or kill him. A dangerous frown crossed her face.  
  
"Liar! You'll just go, like all the others!" Inuyasha pulled her into a hug and squeezed tightly. He didn't know why he felt the need to comfort his enemy that had, not so long ago, been trying to kill everyone he knew. She just seemed so.....alone. And fragile. Like a little girl.  
  
Kagome was about to call out a warning to her mate as he started towards Sae, but was struck speechless as she watched him kneel in front of the demon and seemingly offer words of comfort to her. Was he completely mad?! It was obviously some kind of trap she was using to get him close so she could kill him. Baka! Jealously knotted in her stomach when he embraced their enemy and held her tightly in his arms. She had to end this before things got out of hand.  
  
"Inuyasha!" she barked, sounding more angry and harsh then she intended to. His head snapped up at the sound of her voice and he smiled joyously at the sight of her, emerged from her hiding place.  
  
"Kagome! You're all right!" he grinned, releasing Sae and running to her. He swept up his love into his arms and leaned in to kiss her. She shoved him back and glared accusingly.  
  
"Don't try to kiss up to me. I saw you with that thing. How could you even touch her? She should be destroyed to keep us all safe!" Inuyasha took a step back, blocking Kagome from Sae.  
  
"Wait. She doesn't seem to mean us any real harm. She's been betrayed by someone and it's driven her to do things she probably regrets." He searched Kagome's eyes for any sign of pity, but only anger and hurt lay in those green pools. "Please.......let her be.....," he tried again, weakly.  
  
"NO!" Kagome cried, lunging for the demon, who was watching the exchange with a frightened expression, "she has to be destroyed!" Inuyasha took the hit of Kagome's attack and held her firmly by her shoulders.  
  
"Listen to reason mate! She's not attacking us anymore! She's no longer a threat!" He cringed, watching Kagome's pupils turn to slits and her eyes become a deep red. Her demon blood, forced into her by him, was taking over her rational mind. Her claws grew longer and sharper and she growled threateningly at him.  
  
"Get out of THE WAY!" she screamed, each word growing louder as she spoke. Inuyasha struggled to keep hold of her and steeled himself against the pain her attacks were causing. Her razor claws slashed at his chest and arms and anywhere else she could reach.  
  
"WE HAVE TO STOP HER! STOP HER! KILL HER! DESTROY HER!" Tears began to stream down Kagome's face as she beat her mate in hurt and frustration. Why wouldn't he let her do what they had to do? She couldn't stop yelling and hitting Inuyasha. Some kind of violent force had built up inside of her and taken over when her anger had become too much to trap inside.  
  
Inuyasha didn't know how to stop her, or what brought a person back from their demon rage, but he had to do something before Kagome ripped him to shreds. She had no sword so he couldn't give her a weapon that would calm her. There was only one other way he could think of. He leaned down and kissed her tenderly, running a gentle hand down her cheek even as she snarled against his lips and clawed his arm that held her to him by her waist.  
  
Her struggles lessened, then stopped. Pulling back, Inuyasha gazed down at his mate's face. She looked afraid, afraid to let him be right about Sae, afraid at what she had just done, just........afraid. Inuaysha hugged her fiercely and whispered in her ear.  
  
"Let it go Kagome. Let Sae have her freedom. It's time to go home now. Remember? Home. You love the forest and Sota and your mom and grandpa. It'll be all right."  
  
Kagome's arms hung at her sides for a moment before wrapping around Inuyasha's waist. "Did I really just...........?" her voice trailed off, "...........I'm sorry." A glowing light enveloped the two and Inuyasha glanced behind him at Sae, who was whispering incantations.  
  
"The hell?" he cursed, wondering if he had been wrong about Sae after all.  
  
"Thank you for showing me love, where there never was before. I.......understand now," Sae's quiet voice spoke to them, before the blinding light completely engulfed them both.  
  
Miroku, Sango and Shippo wandered through the maze of hallways until they found the exit at last. "It's about damn time," Miroku muttered, extremely tired off Shippo's never ending chattering. Sango pushed open the heavy wooden door, with the help of Miroku, and they all stepped out into the sunlight with relieved smiles. Shippo bounded over to Kirara, who was still guarding Inuyasha's motionless body.  
  
"What happened to Inuyasha?!" Shippo squeaked, "Is he gonna be okay?! I just got a new daddy, he can't be dead already!" Sango rushed to the upset Kitsune and picked him up.  
  
"It's all right Shippo. He'll wake up anytime now. You just wait. Everything will be okay." Miroku smiled at her at he inspected Inuyasha's body. He hoped to God Sango was right. A soft groan came from the hanyou's body and his eyes blinked once, then again as he stared up into the monk's face.  
  
"M-Miroku?" he mumbled groggily. Shippo leapt out of Sango's arms and onto Inuyasha's chest, jumping up and down in excitement.  
  
"You're okay-you're okay-you're okay!" he cried, not hearing Inuyasha's painful protests.  
  
"Shippo! Calm down. You're hurting him!" Miroku frowned, pulling Shippo off the hanyou's weary body. "What happened to you?"  
  
Inuyasha frowned and sat up, rubbing his forehead and wiping a trickle of blood from his cheek. "Where's Kagome?!" he cried suddenly, looking around desperately. "She was just here with me.........I just found her!" Miroku was slightly taken aback at the sight of Inuyasha covered in cuts and welts as though someone had tried to scratch and gouge him to death.  
  
"She's not here.....," Sango said quietly, with a hint of sadness in her voice, "she disappeared back in the demon's lair." Inuyasha jumped up and leaned heavily on Miroku.  
  
"We have to find her! Please......"  
  
Sango and Miroku exchanged glances. Inuyasha rarely asked for help, especially in a polite manner. What exactly had happened to him? "All right," Miroku nodded, "let's start looking in the demon's lair." Sango scooped Shippo into her arms and sat him on top of Kirara.  
  
"You two scan the forest and come find us if you find her." Kirara mewed at Sango with understanding and the large fire neko leapt into the air with Shippo holding tightly to her fur.  
  
"Inuyasha?" a hushed voice whispered. The remaining three spun around in surprise and stared at Kagome. They had been expecting a long search, but here she was. She seemed all right............but her eyes......  
  
"Kagome. I'm here," Inuyasha said, stepping forward to take her into his arms. She gasped in relief and clung to him.  
  
"I........I can't see you," she whimpered, touching a hand to his cheek and feeling his familiar features with her fingertips. "I think I might be......blind."  
  
Miroku watched helplessly beside Sango as Kagome ran her hand over Inuyasha's face, as if she still needed to make sure it was him. Both Kagome's eyes were solid white. "How?" Miroku inquired, wide-eyed.  
  
"I don't know," Kagome said tearfully, "one minute I was in that creepy house with Inuyasha and then a blinding flash........." She took a deep breath to steady herself and yelped in fear when Sango placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Sorry," the demon slayer apologized, "I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
"It's all right," Kagome sighed, "it's just........weird not being able to see anything. It's all black. Just nothingness."  
  
"We'll get you back to Kaede. I'm sure she can help you somehow," Miroku added, encouragingly, "you'll be back to normal in no time." Inuyasha released Kagome from his arms, but still held tightly to Kagome's hand. Mouthing the words 'thank-you' at Sango and Miroku, he let out a shrill whistle that brought Kirara and Shippo flying back after a few minutes.  
  
"Let's go," Inuyasha nodded, jumping onto Kirara's back with Kagome in his arms. Everyone climbed onto Kirara as well, and they flew to Kaede's village. The group fell silent as they flew, each with his or her own thoughts. Kagome felt Inuyasha's arms tighten around her waist and leaned back against him. She hoped Kaede could help her see again. Her heart hadn't stopped pounding from the moment she had woken up in blackness and wandered aimlessly until she had heard voices.  
  
The sun was beginning to set as they arrived back at the village and Inuyasha lifted the sleeping Kagome off Kirara's back. "We're here. Come on, time to get up wench." Kagome yawned and couldn't see his smile, but she heard it in his voice.  
  
"I'm still sorry for back at that place..........with Sae....," Kagome whispered by his head, hoping she was near his ear.  
  
"Forget it," he smiled, kissing her cheek, "I know how you felt. I've had that happen to me as well, don't forget." Kaede came bustling out of her hut in a hurry with a worried looks on her face.  
  
"Where have ye all been for so long? Ye nearly caused this old lady to die of suspense. Are ye all well?" Inuaysha shook his head and looked down at Kagome. "I see," Kaede sighed, "this way please." Sango yawned quietly as her, Miroku and Shippo followed behind their friends. Inuyasha turned back to them and studied them with his golden eyes.  
  
"You guys look exhausted. Get some sleep. I'll take care of Kagome."  
  
"Are you sure you won't need our assistance?" Miroku questioned.  
  
"Positive," he sighed, "now get going." Shippo clung to Inuyasha's leg and looked up at him sadly.  
  
"Don't send me away. I wanna stay with you and my new mommy!"  
  
"Shippo," Inuyasha smiled patiently, "you need to get some sleep. I'll come and get you later so you won't have to sleep alone, okay pup?" Shippo's eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously.  
  
"Feel better mommy," Shippo whispered, hugging Kagome's arm, then hoping down to the floor again. "I'll go right to bed, just like you wanted me to Inuaysha. See! I'm going!"  
  
"I can't leave you," Sango admitted quietly after Shippo had left. "I wouldn't feel right abandoning Kagome just to get some sleep."  
  
"She'll be fine with me and Kaede," Inuaysha growled, beginning to get impatient, "please respect my wishes for once. You guys need sleep so go and sleep already!" Sango nodded and allowed Miroku to take her hand and lead her away from Kaede's hut and towards her sleeping quarters. She felt a little wary, just going to bed and leaving Inuyasha and Kagome alone, but no one seemed to be questioning the hanyou's motives except for her. He'd know better then to try anything tonight anyway if he knew what was good for him. She realized they had stopped walking and looked up at Miroku's tired expression.  
  
"Stop worrying yourself Sango. Kaede will heal Kagome and we can all go back to finding the shards in a few days. Everything will be the way it was before all this crap happened." His expression softened into a more adoring one as he gazed down at her. "Well, maybe not everything will be the same, but the changes are for the better.............right?"  
  
Sango's eyes locked with his and a small smile graced her lips. "You seem to be right for once Houshi." Her gaze travelled down his body and back to his eyes again. "I'm still a bit frightened though. Will you stay with me for awhile?" Miroku frowned slightly. Sango was never afraid of anything except maybe seeing her brother and possibly friends die. What did she have to be afraid of?...............oh!  
  
The meaning behind her words hit him like a brick wall and grinned like an idiot at her. "I'd be delighted to guard you, Lady Sango, from any of those big bad monsters lurking out in the dark. I'll keep you safe..........." He had already claimed her lips before they had even managed to get inside the hut where Sango slept and the demon slayer found she didn't really mind all that much. They broke away from each other to catch their breath and Sango sauntered backwards through the doorway of the hut with a seductive smirk on her face.  
  
"Coming?"  
  
Inuyasha laid Kagome down on the pallet near the fire, as Kaede instructed and the old healer prodded and poked at Kagome, inspecting her carefully. "Can ye see even a little bit, child?" she asked the half-sleeping miko.  
  
"No. I can't see anything, but the black. I'm sorry for being such a pain in the butt," Kagome sighed.  
  
"Nonsense child. It gives an old woman something to do for the next couple days." Kagome giggled and discreetly felt around on the floor until Inuyasha noticed and gripped her hand with his. He knew how scared she must feel. She was keeping up a happy face for everyone because they were so worried about her. Kaede finally got up and pulled down a pot of herbs from one of the many shelves Inuyasha had built for her for one of her birthdays. It had been one of their first glimpses at his nice side.  
  
Mixing some of the dried herbs in a bowl, she added a drop or two of another bottles and mixed the concoction into a fine paste. "Here," she said, passing the bowl to Inuyasha, "spread this over her eyes. Ye shall be in charge of guarding her tonight. Once the morning comes, I'll see what else I can do for ye." Inuyasha nodded and offered a smile of appreciation.  
  
"I appreciate it." Kaede handed him another flask that was filled to the brim.  
  
"Have her drink lots of water and re-apply the stuff I gave ye every few hours." Inuyasha watched the old woman leave the two alone in the hut and remembered a time when he had once hated her. Now she was a good friend to him and his comrades. He turned his attention back to Kagome and brushed hair out of her face.  
  
"Did you hear everything Kaede said, Kagome?" She nodded slightly and yawned.  
  
"I'm tired," she said quietly, squeezing his hand.  
  
"I just have to put this medicine stuff over your eyes and we can go to sleep, okay?"  
  
"Hurry up then," Kagome smiled. He pulled the petite girl into his lap and felt her tense in surprise when he kissed her. He had to remember she couldn't see him. She kissed him eagerly and felt herself trembling when he pulled back,  
  
"Here, drink this," he ordered, pressing the flask into her hand. Managing to find the drinking end, Kagome gulped down some of the bitter water and spluttered it down the front of herself and Inuyasha. "Hey. Hey, calm down. It's probably just medicated or something," Inuyasha reassured her, seeing her disgusted look and taking the flask back.  
  
"You drink it then," she growled.  
  
"I'm not the one who can't see," Inuyasha teased.  
  
"We could change that," she challenged. He rolled his eyes, knowing her threat could be semi-serious.  
  
"Feh. Let's just finish this." He laid Kagome back on her bedding again and leaned over her to gently spread the paste over each of her eyelids.  
  
"It's cold," she whispered, shifting beneath him unintentionally in a way that caused him to intake his breath sharply. Inuyasha had to remind himself that she wasn't feeling well and she was blind, so now was not one of the best times to be aroused by her underneath him.  
  
"Kagome," he said, clenching his teeth, "please refrain from rubbing yourself there until I'm finished with this." Seeing her cheeks go red, he laughed slightly at her mumbled apology. "I didn't say I minded," he growled softly into her ear, "I just said wait till I'm finished with this." Her cheeks burned an even brighter red, but her lips curled a coy smile non-the-less. After applying the paste over the rest of her eyes, Inuyasha leaned over and kissed the tip of Kagome's nose. "All done."  
  
He bit back a groan as her hands moved along his body and he held her wrists, stopping her before he was no longer able to. "We need to get some sleep," he admitted reluctantly, "as much as I'd like to do this tonight.........I don't think you should."  
  
"Spoilsport," Kagome pouted and wrapped her arms around her mate's waist, "you know, I never got to mark your neck........."  
  
"Another night my love. Another night," the hanyou grinned. He put out most of the fire and snuggled down with Kagome under a light blanket. "You'll be all right. Just wait and see. Tomorrow, you'll be good as new." Kagome snuggled in closer against his body and clasped his hand in hers.  
  
"I hope so.........," she whispered into the darkness.  
  
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Author: Well, that was a very interesting, fluffy chapter, was it not? I don't know whether to be happy for Kagome because she got her Inuyasha back or mad cause the annoying prick of a hanyou didn't die. I guess I'll be happy if you guys are. You are happy right? ::sees the readers eyes shifting back and forth as the slowly back away:: RIGHT?!  
  
Sephiroth: ::grips her shoulders and pulls her into a hug to calm her:: Now, now. Be nice to the readers. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  
  
Author: ::sighs and leans against Sephiroth sadly:: I just feel a little down and unappreciated right now. Like there's a little rain cloud over my head that follows me everywhere.  
  
Sephiroth: ::looks hopeful:: I could cheer you up.......  
  
Author: ::growls angrily and pushes him away:: I don't need this right now.  
  
Sephiroth: ::sighs and looks at the ground::  
  
Author: I'm sorry everyone. I'm depressed about my fanfiction right now and I'm not sure why. Thank you everyone for the fantastic reviews. Most of you anyway. ::mutters:: Stupid Mr. Flames. I would like to thank SilverTailz for being my inspiration for this chapter. She encouraged me to right lots and continue this story when I wasn't really feeling up to it. All of you readers out there are greatly appreciated.  
  
Sephiroth: Unlike me..... ::pouts::  
  
Author: ::fingers her wedding ring thoughtfully:: Well, I hope all of you liked this chapter and give nice long reviews on what you thought and what parts were good and bad. I love you all! ::huggles readers and gives each one a giant chocolate chip cookie:: Now I must be off to try and cheer me and my new husband up.  
  
Sephiroth: ::grins:: Shall we?  
  
Author: ::nods and follows him out to the car:: I get to pick the restaurant this time. ::waves:: See you all later! Bai bai! :D  
  
(For any of you confused about my marryness then read the authors notes of "Moogles!" in my "Ashnat Productions" account.) 


	10. Ch10: Taken

Author: Wow. Has it really been ten whole chapters already? My god. I can't believe that you've all stuck with me for so long. You're all either insane or you just actually like the story. Wow. ::blushes:: I feel so warm and glowy. Can this be love? Yes! I love all you reviewers out there! Thank you for all the wonderful support. From those who have been there since the beginning to those that just started reading. A special thanks goes out to SilverTailz who not only writes her own incredible fanfiction, but also took the liberty of reading through my story and reviewing every chapter! I know what a pain in the butt that is to do and I really appreciate it.

Sephiroth: ::rolls his eyes:: God, kiss her ass a little bit more why don't you.

Author: ::glares:: Who asked you. No one reads your stories.

Sephiroth: ::looks confused:: But.......I don't write any....

Author: Exactly! So ha!

Sephiroth: ::throws his hands in the air in exasperation:: Why are women so confusing?

Author: To drive men insane. ::smiles sweetly at her husband-by-force::

Sephiroth: Well, I say that since I forced you to marry me that I should be able to force you to stop being so damn confusing and submit to my will.

Author: ::laughs:: Right...........cause that's gonna happen.

Sephiroth: ::pouts:: Oh really? Take this! ::sweeps the author of her feet and dips her down to steal a kiss::

Author: Mmmph! ::prys him off:: GET OFF ME YOU LECHER!!!!

Miroku: Somebody call me?

Author: ::whacks Miroku and Sephiroth over the head with Sango's boomerang:: There. Much better. Anyway, here's what I had to say about your wonderful reviews of my last chapter:

Tailzy-pie - Hmmmm I wonder who this is? ::scratches head in puzzlement:: This person kind of reminds me of an awesome reviewer I know, but.............nah....can't be. Aww, at least they love me! No! Stop echoing! I updated so stop that right now! ::huggles:: Thankies for reviewing you wonder echoing person you.

Mr Flames - Inuyasha didn't do anything stupid...............yet! Mwahahahahaha! It won't take him long to screw up again. That's what Inuyasha's life is all about. Pretending not to be in love with a girl he's in love with and screwing stuff up! Whoo! Fun! A eh? I'd say the nice thing to do would be to give me an A story. Geez. Get the act together. ;) Hope to see longer nicer reviews from you in the future. Puhweeze? Have fun reading!

Angel-YuRiPa - Is insanely good a good thing? :P I'm glad to see someone would be disappointed if I stopped writing cause people seem to be losing interest in this story. ::huggles angel:: Awwwww you love it. ::blushes:: You've helped to cheer me up. Thanks and lots of love and huggles for you. I hope to see lots more wonderful reviews from you in the future. ::superhuggles:: :D

Candace – Awww you don't like cliffies eh? ::grins:: Perhaps you shouldn't read this chapter then. :P I'm glad to hear that my chapter was sensational! ::huggles:: You're so wonderful. Have a cookie! ::gives you a cookie:: Thanks for your continued interest in my story and enjoy the chapter!

SilverTailz - ::blushes:: Aww Sanji, you're so cute. ::huggles Sanji:: Can I steal you from Tailz? I'm still a little confused about the relationship between Tailz, Sanji and Inuyasha. lol. It seems like a mother hitting on her child sometimes. :P Thank you thank you thank you for reviewing my story Tailz! You reviewing my story is like having a Sephiroth clone all to myself in real life. (Ask anyone who knows me, that means I REALLY REALLY like you and your stories) It's a great honour to have reviews from the author of such fantastic stories that are so wonderful and should be read by all reviewing my story. By the way, I recommended your story to Mr. Flames and he's going to read and review some of your stories. I'm pretty sure he's starting with "Future Tense". You've help cheer me up a great deal so I shall do something for you. HEY! ALL YOU READERS OUT THERE! THIS STORY IS CRAP! STOP READING AND GO READ SILVERTAILZ STORIES! There. All done. ::huggles Tailz:: You rock! Keep up the great work and great reviews. ::bows done and kisses Tailz feet::

Author: Now that I'm done with my grovelling and kissing up, I'll continue on with what I started to say. ;) I'm just completely thrilled to be in the double digit chapters! I was wondering which you guys prefer, quicker updates or longer chapters? Because I could probably manage to update quicker if I didn't go as in depth with a lot of things and just gave you less writing to read. Let me know what you all think.

Sephiroth: ::regains consciousness and crawls over to lay his head on the author's lap:: I'm sorry for making you mad. I should know better by now.

Author: ::smiles triumphantly:: What a good little husband you're being today. Do you have anything else to say to me?

Sephiroth: Yah. ::rubs his throbbing head:: You wouldn't happen to have any aspirin would you?

Author: ::rolls her eyes and hands him a bottle::

Sephiroth: Thanks. ::huggles author while she continues talking::

Author: You know, I don't remember the last time I did a disclaimer. Hmmmm. I think it's been a while. Meh. ::yells:: Amanda!

Amanda: ::pokes her head in the fic, covered in kisses:: Hmm?

Author: Oo What are you doing?

Amanda: Um.......nothing.......

Kuja: Amanda, my darling, come back to bed dearest.

Amanda: ::goes bright red::

Author: Um........do you have time to do a disclaimer?

Amanda: ::nods and ducks back out to throw on something more decent::

Author: ::leans back against Sephiroth and doesn't object when he pulls her into his lap::

Amanda: ::runs back in:: Sorry about that. I'm ready now!

Author: Disclaimer away!

Amanda: ::pulls out a boom box and turns on rap music, placing a backwards baseball cap on her head:: Yo yo yo, waz sup in da hood my brothers! I got a disclaimer to bring to you. Let's get it on! The author does not own any of the peeps in this here fic and she's fo rizzle, my nizzle. You be treating her good or I might have to open up a can of whoopass and bust a cap in your ass!

Author and all others, but Amanda: Oo ??????

Amanda: ::bows and smiles sweetly:: I thought I'd try something new today.

Author: Thanks........I think......

Amanda: Well, I'm off. My secret affair needs me back in....his.........kitchen. Yes. Kitchen.

Author: Bye Amanda.

Sephiroth: ::nuzzles author's neck:: I like how she thinks. What say we start the chapter and take a little break ourselves?

Author: ::raises an eyebrow, not really sure what he means:: I guess.......... ::turns to readers:: Ya'll go enjoy the chapter now, ya here? I'll see you at the end of the chapter.

Sephiroth: ::scoops her up into his arms and heads out of the fic::

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Inuyasha held tightly to his mate as she relaxed next to him on the pallet inside Kaede's hut. Kagome lay in his arms, eyes half closed, just starting to fall asleep. The feel of Inuyasha's arms around her was enough to help keep her calm and try and get some sleep. Not being able to see was a terrifying thing. It made her want to claw frantically at her eyelids until light shone through them and she could make out the familiar places and people around her. She felt the arms around her waist tighten slightly when she unintentionally let out a small whimper.

"Get some sleep," Inuyasha whispered, kissing her neck. It was an order, in a way, but not a cruel one as she was often used to from the grumpy hanyou. It wasn't long after that, Inuyasha felt Kagome's body un-tensed and her breathing become even. It was a relief to know that she was able to fall asleep after everything they'd suffered through. True to his word, Inuyasha gently released Kagome, pushed the light blanket off himself and went to find Shippo wherever he had decided to make his bed. Once outside, it didn't take Inuyasha long to track down the little kitsune who was curled in a furry ball under a tree close to their hut.

"Shippo," he whispered, shaking his shoulder, "come on runt. Time to wake up." The small youkai didn't stir and Inuyasha finally gave up, scooping him up into his arms and carrying him back to Kagome's bed. Placing Shippo in Kagome's arms, he smiled to see her instinctively hug him to her like her own child and Shippo's arms went loosely around her neck. Wondering if there was any room left for him now, Inuyasha lay down as well and pulled Kagome and Shippo into his protective embrace after pulling the blanket back over all three of them. He didn't know what Kagome's opinion would be on the subject, but _he_ definitely wanted kids. Shippo mumbled something incoherent and snuggled against Inuyasha as well, causing a small smile to appear on his lips. He would, of course, deny everything in the morning. Shippo had gotten there of his own accord.

The trio fell into a comfortable sleep in each others arms. Soft snoring came from Shippo, while Inuaysha drooled on the pillows. Kagome hardly stirred at all, sleeping deeply. A shadow moved along the outside of the hut and silently pushed open the door, peering inside at the sleeping group.

Miroku lay, staring at the stars, with Sango at his side outside their small hut. _Her _small hut would be a more accurate thing to call it, but he didn't really care at the moment. Sango had made it very VERY clear that he was allowed to kiss her, and sometimes a bit more when she was in a good mood, but anything further then that was rewarded with pain. He pouted slightly at the memory when he had first learned that lesson. He would just have to keep his lecherous hands to himself until he could convince the enchanting demon slayer to marry him. He had as much chance at achieving that, as Shippo had at beating Inuyasha in hand to hand combat. The chances of her saying yes were slim to none. He worried that her "I love you" had been out of gratitude for saving her that one day. He wanted to be sure of how she felt before he dared to ask her such a bold question. He had to think of some way........

Sango shifted to snuggle closer to Miroku. As risky as she knew that was, it was a bit chilly outside and they were enjoying themselves watching the stars. She didn't wish to ruin the mood or the moment so she huddled against Miroku's warmth, pretending not to notice the hand on her shoulder making its way closer to forbidden areas. He'd learn why not to if he dared try it. Her boomerang would make sure of that. Surprisingly enough, Miroku withdrew his hand before attempting to grope anything and instead wrapped an arm around Sango's waist, pulling her in for another kiss. It was nice to have some time to themselves. Even though everyone "knew" about the two of them, they hadn't officially said anything much to the others about what was going to happen. She had almost let the word wedding slip out when the group had first seen her being tolerant of Miroku. They had agreed that sex would wait until after marriage, but Miroku hadn't actually proposed or anything yet.

"Look! A shooting star!" Sango exclaimed, sitting up suddenly and pulling out of Miroku's arms. "I've never seen one before."

"I haven't either," Miroku nodded, sitting up as well, "maybe it's fate that we both saw our first shooting star together." A hopeful grin lit up his face and Sango shook her head.

"Maybe it's telling us to get some sleep," Sango smiled, loving the way Miroku's face fell at her teasing. He was easy to talk out of things. If only his hands didn't wander as often as they did. Miroku yawned loudly and seemed surprised at himself.

"Maybe you're right Sango. I think it's time for us to retire to our rooms." He stood and pulled her to his feet, gazing down at her with a look that made her knees weak. "I love you," he breathed, hugging her tightly. Sango closed her eyes and let him hold her, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I love you more," she whispered when he released her. Miroku smiled slightly at that and gave her a goodnight kiss.

"Sleep well, Lady Sango. Dream of me." A mischievous look came into his eyes. "Perhaps I shall dream of you also."

"Hentai," Sango muttered affectionately, "enough with the dirty thoughts. I'm off to bed." Stealing another kiss before he left, Miroku sighed happily and watched Sango look back at him with a dreamy smile before entering her sleeping hut. He might just be brave enough to ask her the one thing that was on his mind. He'd find some way to make it romantic and special for her. That almost guaranteed he'd score. Hopefully anyway. The monk entered his hut with a sigh and lay down on the woven straw bed, placing his staff on the floor beside him. Today was a new day. Maybe he'd have a chance.

Inuyasha awoke with a start at the sound of branches snapping just outside their door. He kept perfectly still as someone entered the room and crept closer to where the three of them lay. Inuyasha's whole body tensed, waiting for just the right moment to attack. At the last possible second, he jumped up from the bed and slammed the intruder into a wall, pinning them to it by their neck. He growled threateningly at them and peered closer, trying to make out their face in the meagre light.

"Why are you in here?" Inuyasha demanded, shaking the person violently. The person took a choked breath and tried to speak. Inuyasha realized how tightly he was holding their throat and released a little pressure to allow them to breathe. "Now talk! What are you doing here?!"

"I wanted to see Kagome," the voice rasped, coughing slightly.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why?! What business do you have with my mate?!"

"It's me you stupid mutt. Put me down!"

"Koga?" Inuyasha asked in an annoyed tone, "I thought you left to be with your pack." Letting the wolf youkai drop to the floor, Inuyasha glared down at him, waiting for an explanation.

"I did," Koga sighed, rubbing his throat, "but I heard rumours about some terrible things happening in this area and I wanted to make sure Kagome was okay."

"She's fine. Now leave." Koga began to object, but Inuyasha held up a clawed hand to silence him. "She's in no state for your misguided swooning and you'd do her more harm then good. I want you to leave. Now."

Koga stood up angrily and headed towards the two sleeping figures. "What do you mean she's 'in no state'? What happened? What harm did I you /I let come to her?!" Kneeling down next to Kagome, he gently shook her awake. Inuyasha was seconds away from tearing Koga to shreds.

"She just fell asleep you inconsiderate bastard. Leave her alone!"

Ignoring the hanyou's protests, he shook her gently again and her eyes blinked open. "Inuyasha?" her hesitant voice whispered. She put a hand to the face of the person next to her and knew it wasn't her mate. "Inuyasha?! Where are you? Please help me! There's someone-"

She was cut off as Inuyasha ran over and hugged her protectively in his arms. "Shhhhh. It's all right. Koga was being an ass. I told him to let you sleep, but he insists on seeing you." Kagome relaxed in his arms and felt a small furry bundle in her own.

"What the?" Kagome started to drop it, but Inuyasha stopped her.

"It's Shippo. Calm down," Inuyasha reassured her.

Koga had watched the whole thing suspiciously and frowned. "Kagome, look at me for a moment," Koga said, with a concerned tone. She turned her head as best she could in the direction his voice came from with her unseeing eyes. Koga gasped slightly. "You're blind?"

Shooting him an evil glare, Inuyasha shook his head. "No. We're helping her eyes get better right now. Kaede has herbs and stuff and it's really none of your business, so I think you should get out now." Kagome yawned and let go of Inuyasha to lie back down on their bed.

"Please you two. I just want to get some rest."

Koga nodded understandingly and patted Kagome's shoulder. "I'll come visit tomorrow, okay? Sorry for coming so late." Pointing to the door, Inuyasha gave Koga a look and the youkai pushed past Inuyasha, leaving the way he came. "I'll be back tomorrow," he declared, not caring what Inuyasha thought. Inuyasha glared at the retreating Koga's back and was glad to finally be rid of him. How dare he sneak in here and wake up Kagome. He'd be damned if he let the stupid wolf see his mate again tomorrow.

Lightly stroking Kagome's hair, Inuyasha eventually got up to grab the herb mixture Kaede had made to re-apply more and clean off the old stuff. Kagome had already fallen asleep again and didn't stir as he spread the stuff onto her closed eyes. If it didn't work, he didn't know what he was going to do. Curling up again next to his love and Shippo, he lay listening for a while to see if Koga would dare to come back. Satisfied after some time had passed, Inuyasha let himself fall asleep as well.

The morning came too soon for Kagome. She felt more then heard Shippo wake up as he stretched against her and yawned cutely. There was some quiet whispering as he talked to Inuyasha about something or other. She caught the words "still sleeping" and "hope it worked" as they chatted quietly next to her. Groaning softly, Kagome rolled onto her stomach and buried her face in the make shift pillow. She didn't want to have to get up yet. "Kagome?" a soft voice whispered, tickling her ear. She sat up and stretched her arms over her head, not able to see the way Inuyasha's eyes travelled over her curves that were visible when her clothing pulled tight over her body.

Shippo jumped into her lap, startling her, and Inuyasha sat next to her. "Ready to clean that stuff off your eyes?" Inuyasha asked brightly, hoping he didn't sound overly cheerful.

"More then ready," Kagome nodded. Shippo held tightly to Kagome's arm as Inuyasha used a soft wet cloth to clean the paste off of her eyes. Five minutes late she was paste free and smiling. "Should I open my eyes then?" she asked nervously.

"Let's give it a shot." Inuyasha watched her eyes blink open and stare at him, or more, through him. "Did it work?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Kagome burst into tears and hugged Shippo tightly, angry that the blackness hadn't gone away.

"You said it would work! You told me it would be fine today!" Kagome cried, not caring how childish she sounded. Inuyasha embraced her and whispered to Shippo to give them a moment. Releasing his mommy, the kitsune ran outside, hating to have to see Kagome cry. The two hanyou's sat in each others arms, Inuyasha whispering comforting things in his mate's ear. She'd be all right eventually. They'd figure this out. They had to.

Miroku awoke with a pleasant smile still upon his lips. His dreams had been full of a certain beautiful demon slayer and, as promised, they had pretty much been 'R' rated. He ran a hand through his hair and stifled a yawn as he dug through his small pack for a special something his mother had left him. He had been sure he'd never use the heirloom, but it seemed that it may have some use after all. Tucking the gold ring into a pocket in his robes, he ducked out of his room and collided with a small red blur.

"Shippo. Are you all right?" he asked, helping the kitsune to his feet.

"Kagome's not better," he whimpered, eyes filling with tears, "and I can't find Kaede anywhere! Help me. Please Miroku......" It didn't take the monk long to give in and agree to help Shippo find the village healer.

"Come on Shippo. She has to be around here somewhere." They didn't make it very far before there path was blocked by a tired looking Sango. She seemed concerned at the worried looks their faces both portrayed.

"What's wrong you two?" Sango asked, shyly taking Miroku's hand into hers.

"We're trying to find Kaede to help Kagome," Shippo piped up, "Miroku's helping since I can't find her and mommy's crying and scared cause she still can't see." Sango's face fell and she leaned down to hug the sad kitsune.

"Don't worry. She'll get better. She just needs a little bit longer to heal." When she stood again, Miroku took a hold of her hand, letting their fingers entwine, and pulled gently.

"Come on. We'll all find Kaede and fix this mess." The three of them wandered through the village until Shippo suddenly spotted the old woman tending to a villager's injured leg.

"Kaede!" Shippo yelled, running towards her urgently, "you have to help Kagome! She still can't see anything!" Kaede nodded calmly and sat the kitsune in her lap as she finished wrapping the sprain.

"Ye are underestimating your miko friend. She be stronger then she appears. We shall tend to her as soon as I be done with this villager." Shippo nodded silently, a panic stricken look still visible on his face.

Sango pulled Miroku over to a spot where they could wait for Kaede to be ready to go and nuzzled his neck, pleased at the blush she got out of him. His arm snuck around her waist and squeezed comfortingly. The longer they waited for Kaede, the more nervous the small group became. At last the old woman stood and smiled at the villager.

"Ye stay off that leg for a few days and drink plenty of water with this herb in it," Kaede explained, handing the person a small pouch.

"Thank you so much Lady Kaede," the villager bowed gratefully, "I appreciate you doing this for me." Kaede nodded and watched two other villagers carry their injured friend to a safe hut where he could recover.

"Now then," she sighed, turning to Miroku and Sango, "we'd best be getting back to Kagome." They all hurried to the hut that Kagome and Inuyasha were in and Kaede entered the room with a worried look. Kagome had stopped crying and was cradled in Inuyasha's arms, dozing slightly. He looked close to tears himself. His head jerked up at the sound of Kaede entering the room and his eyes shone with relief when he saw her.

"Can you do anything for Kagome?" he whispered, "the herbs and stuff didn't seem to work." Kaede knelt down next to the hanyou and inspected the girl in his arms. After a moment of silence she spoke in a defeated tone.

"The only thing ye can do for her now is pray. I've never seen a case like this. Ye would be wise to let her know it may be permanent. Unless....." She trailed off thoughtfully.

"Unless what?" Inuyasha growled, trying not to yell.

"Unless ye can find a rare type of flower that is said to cure ailments of the spirit. Its power be so strong that any demon magic is immediately dispelled." Inuyasha let his gaze shift to Kagome's sleeping form and back to Kaede.

"Where would I find this flower?"

Kaede sighed heavily. "In my lifetime, I have yet to see one. It be told that they grow at the highest point of a mountain, near Sesshoumaru's land. Ye would have to search endlessly for days to hope to find anything."

"I'll go," Inuyasha said with determination, laying Kagome down on the bed, "I'll find the flower. Anything for Kagome." He looked a little less certain of himself as he stood, staring out the window. "Do you have any idea what this flower looks like?"

Kaede nodded and went to a container on her shelves. Pulling out a piece of scroll, she handed it to Inuyasha. "This be the only known picture of the miraculous flower. My sister drew it herself when she found it to cure me when I was a little girl. A demon cursed me and I was blind and numb to any feelings like touch or emotion. I couldn't hear either. It was awful. Kikyo went off on her own and found the cure for me. To this day, she be the only one who knows where it resides."

Inuyasha listened with a scowl appearing on his face. "I don't care if it's impossible. I'm going." He studied the picture with a frown and blinked back tears. Why did he have to be so damn weak?! His brother would never act like this. He'd be strong and do what needed to be done. Leaning down to kiss Kagome's cheek, Inuyasha then grabbed a bag and stuffed some supplies into it. "When she wakes up, tell her where I went and that I'll be back soon. Tell her....," he faltered for only a second, "tell her I love her."

Kaede nodded solemnly and followed Inuyasha outside, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck."

Miroku, Sango and Shippo had waited outside and were all anxious to hear the news. "I'm going to find a cure," Inuyasha said simply, when the three of them saw his pack of supplies and his determined expression. "Take good care of her while I'm gone."

Koga strolled up and clapped a hand on Inuyasha's back. "I hope you can help her, mutt. I'll make sure she doesn't get too lonely without you." Inuyasha growled at Koga's fake innocent expression, but yelped in surprise when Koga pulled him into a hug. "Do what you have to, but don't fail her. She's counting on you." The two pulled apart with awkward smiles and Inuyasha nodded in understanding.

"I'll find a cure if it kills me."

They all watched Inuyasha's back as he walked away towards the place Kaede had described. It would take him at least a week to get there and back, not to mention the time it would take for him to find the flowers.

Inuyasha trudged on, aware of everyone's eyes on him, and prayed that he'd be able to find the flower and right the wrong that had been done to his mate. He didn't want to let everyone down. He was almost to the outskirts of the village when terrified screams stopped him in his tracks and he spun to see his former love walking calmly through the village in the direction of the hut where Kagome was sleeping, villagers fleeing from her in terror. Some trampled each other in their frantic need to escape.

"Shit!" he yelled, dropping everything and running for Kagome's hut. As slow as it seemed Kikyo was walking, she made it there first. Koga blocked the way and he sighed in relief, knowing that mutt would never let anyone hurt Kagome if his life depended on it. Kikyo shot an arm into the front of Koga's chest and he collapsed to the ground, not moving any longer. Kikyo continued to the inside of the hut as Inuyasha ran onward as fast as he possibly could.

He heard more screams, only they were familiar this time. His heart nearly stopped when Kagome fled blindly from the hut and fell to her knees, tripping over a tree root. Kikyo stepped out through the doorway and walked to where Kagome had fallen, lifting a hand towards her. Kagome and Kikyo both writhed in pain when a snake of crackling black magic shot from Kikyo into Kagome. Kikyo endured the pain more calmly and expectantly, while Kagome convulsed on the ground. Shippo screamed and struggled against Sango's hold on him, trying to get to his mom. Then it was over. The horrid black magic was gone and Inuyasha lunged for Kikyo, who made no move to stop him, slashing his claws across her arm.

Kagome cried out and he saw an identical wound had appeared on her arm. "What have you done?" he screamed in fury at Kikyo. She viewed him as though he were no more important then a bug to be squashed.

"I wouldn't anger me if I were you," she warned in a deadly tone. Inuyasha backed up to where Kagome was, keeping his eyes on Kikyo. Kneeling down, he ripped a piece of his haori and tied it around her bleeding arm.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Inuaysha demanded. Miroku came to his side and touched his arm.

"Inuyasha, calm down. You need to get a hold on your anger. We don't know what she can do to Kagome. It better to be safe then sorry." Inuyasha glared at him, but took his advice anyway.

"Kikyo," he asked in a more restrained tone, "what did you do to Kagome?"

The deceased miko priestess looked at him coldly. "I have bonded her soul to mine. Anything that is done to me, is done to her also. We share emotions and senses. If I die, she dies. If she dies, then I die." Inuyasha open his mouth but no words came out.

"Sister! How can you do this? That spell could kill you both!" Kaede cried, falling at her older sister's feet. "Please. Mama wouldn't have wanted things to be like this."

Kikyo seemed not to hear Kaede's pleading. "I can also cut off the bond at whim. Of course, when done improperly, Kagome would die. We wouldn't want that now would we?" Kikyo smirked at Inuyasha, who had gone whiter then snow.

"Why?" he whispered incredulously.

"Why?" Kikyo snarled, "because it should've been me! I should've been the one there to love you and change you and bear your children. Not some stupid little girl!" Her eyes closed in sadness. "If you choose her over me, then I'll just have to rid you of her. If you try and stop me, or follow us, then you will watch her die. Slowly."

Inuyasha bit back a cry of anguish. This couldn't be happening. Kikyo walked over to Inuyasha, who was hugging Kagome protectively. "She's going with me, or she dies."

"Y-you can't really do that!" Inuyasha protested. Kikyo crossed her arms impatiently and Kagome cried out, shaking with the pain of some invisible attack. Everyone flinched at the sound except Kikyo.

"Take her," Inuyasha said in a defeated whisper. Kikyo grabbed Kagome's arm and pulled her to her feet.

"See you in hell, my love," Kikyo sneered and lead Kagome stumbling with her. Everyone stayed, frozen to their spots, until Kagome and Kikyo were out of sight.

"No......," Inuyasha whispered, "NO!" He slammed a fist into the earth and a large hole resulted from the blow. Shippo began to wail and clung to Sango who was deadly silent and close to tears herself. Miroku and Kaede seemed to be the only ones left with a bit of their wits about them.

"Is there anything we can do?" Miroku asked Kaede frantically. Kaede slowly shook her head.

"She be too powerful for us. She used a maternity spell. That spell has bonded her and Kagome's mind and soul. They are like one. My sister takes no risks. She is prepared to die again if it will bring misery to Inuyasha. She truly hates him for everything that has happened."

The group fell silent except for Shippo's crying and Inuyasha stared dumbly at the place he had last seen his mate. She was gone.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Author: No! Poor Kagome. Inuyasha better not try and follow them or Kikyo's gonna kill her! Bloody cliffhangers! ::growls and lunges at Sephiroth::

Sephiroth: Hey! I didn't do it!

Author: ::calms down and looks at her readers sadly:: I hope none of you want to kill me for letting Kagome get stolen, but it's not my fault! Honestly! The thing that lives under my bed made me type it.

Thing under the bed: Did not!

Author: Did too!

Thing under the bed: ::pouts:: Okay. Maybe just a little bit.

Author: ::rolls her eyes:: Sorry about leaving it at that, but it seemed like a good place to leave you hanging.......I mean......end the chapter. ::ahem::

Readers: ::take out pitchforks and torches::

Author: Yipe! ::runs and hides in her closet::

Sephiroth: ::grins in the darkness:: How nice of you to join me in my closet.

Author: ::whacks Sephiroth:: Shut up! They're going to find us!

Angry mob of readers: ::hear the arguing and fling open closet door:: There she is! Get her! ::drag author out of closet and tie her to a wooden stake::

Author: ::struggles frantically:: Spare me! Please! If you let me go then I can type the next chapter and end your suspense! Please let me go! I don't wanna die!

Sephiroth: ::mutters:: Now I'm never gonna get any.

Readers: Well..........::look around at each other::

Tailz: Kill her! Kill her! Kill her........ ::trails off when she sees no one is chanting anymore:: Heh heh. ::sweatdrops::

Sanji: ::shakes his head:: Violence is pointless! Release her!

Author: Yay! I'm free! ::huggles Sanji gratefully:: Come with me and I'll make sure to reward you properly! ::turns to Tailz:: And thanks for all the wonderful encouraging emails! Thanks to your kicks in my butt that got me going, I finished this chapter and posted it!

Everyone: ::clap for Tailz and cheer and whistle::

Tailz: ::bows and smiles happily::

Author: Anyway, I hope you all don't murder me for this chapter and I would like to encourage you to check out some of my other stories as well. (I'm trying to get one hundred reviews for my Vincent/Tifa story before chapter eleven and I still need thirty something reviews. ::pouts::) I'm reposting my X-2 fic and hoping that fanfiction won't take it away again. They'll catch me. They always do! Grargh! ::sighs:: But yah, thanks for all your reviews and support you guys. I'm much more cheered up and happy from all the nice reviews I got. Especially Tailz. ::huggles her::

Tailz: ::grins:: I'm the best!

Author: I hope to see lots of reviews and comments and remember, those who flame get no fast updates. :P Til next I post, bai bai. ::drags off poor terrified Sanji towards a more private area of the fic::


	11. Ch11: Broken hearts

**NOTICE TO READERS: I'm very sorry that this fic hasn't been updated in a VERY VERY long time, but I still haven't gotten my A:/ drive fixed so I couldn't transfer my fic to a disk to a computer that has internet so I could update. What I finally did was print every page of my new chapters that I needed to update (which took an hour and a half to print 25 pages thanks to my stupid, slow old printer) and retype it on a computer that _has_ the internet. It was a big pain in the ass, but it was all for you guys. I hope you enjoy these chapters since my printer is now also out of ink. :P**

Author: I'm going to be blunt. I'm not in the "authors notes" kind of mood so I'm just gonna be as quick as I can and try not to babble on about meaning rubbish that you guys probably don't read anyway. ;) Here are my reader responses to thank all you wonderful people out there who reviewed the last chapter.

Ceaseless Cloudy days - ::blushes:: Actually, about the whole Sephiroth thing, we got married in the authors notes of my other fic that my friend and I write together. So yah….::ahem:: Anyway, mwahahahahaha! I love cliffhangers. They keep the readers coming back for more!!! Awww you're not stupid. Anyone who likes this story has to be at least vaguely intelligent. ;) Much thanks for your kind comments and lots of huggles for you!

Neko-Yuff 16 - What can I say? Short but sweet! :) Thank you for the kind review and I know that my update wasn't very soon after the previous one, but as you were informed of in the "notice to readers", my A:/ drive isn't working. Please forgive me and remain my faithful readerian! ::huggles:: Hope the chapter was worth waiting for.

Candace - Well, I guess you can see where I went from last chapter after reading this one! Mwahahahahaha! It's all part of a conspiracy to make you read and review yet another chapter. Ahahahaha! ::ahem:: Yes, anyway, you get huggles for reviewing and I must say that I agree with you about the poor Inuyasha and poor Kagome thing. Maybe I should kill off Inuyasha so he doesn't have to suffer anymore. ;) What do you think? Lol. I hope this chapter makes everything a little less sad, although I can't guarantee that things aren't getting worse.

WolfPack4 - Awwww poor you. Going to school sucks doesn't it? Hopefully you, the readers, wont be left in suspense anymore after reading this chapter. But what can I say, there might be another cliffhanger waiting for you at the end of this chapter too. ::eyes shift back and forth:: Mwahahaha. I'm not evil, I swear. Just remember that even if you want to kill me, only an _alive_ author can update her fics. ;) Thank you for the wonderfully long, kind review. ::huggles::

Mr. Flames - Two words. YOU AEW INSANE! Lol. Inuyasha is screwed up and always has been. Didn't you know that? I'm glad you're enjoying the story though. The chapter wasn't that screwed up though, I mean, Inuyasha doesn't have to ask Kikyo for help because he said he would find it himself, no matter how long it took and I wasn't really planning on a Sesshoumaru appearance, so yah. You assume too much my friend. Still, thank you for the kind review and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chrisy12 - If you want Kikyo to die, then it shall be so. I can't really say how many more chapters from now it will happen, but it will happen! I hate that stupid witch so much. She's always messing in Kagome and Inu's lives. If only she'd butt out and die, right? Right! :P Thanks for the fantastical review and I hope you enjoy the chapter. ::huggles::

Silver Tailz - Don't die! ::superhuggles:: Yay, you're better! Whew, I'm glad that Sanji isn't related to you cause that would just be wrong. ::shudders:: Awwww, you two are so cute! Even id Sanji is just a fictional made up person-ma-bobber. I'm glad that he was finally tricked into admitting his attraction to you.

Sephiroth: I love me. There is a serious lack of silver haired hotties in this reader response thingy.

Moogle: O.o

Sephiroth: ::starts singing:: I'm……too sexy for my sword, too sexy for my sword, oh yah, that's right! Cause I'm…..too sexy for my pants, too sexy for my-

Moogle: ::whacks him over the head with a blunt, heavy object before he has the chance to take his pants off:: Sephiroth! Get out of here! Stop trying to corrupt poor Tailz! ::bows apologetically:: Sorry bout that. He's a little hard to control. Especially since he just had ice cream.

Sephiroth: Yum! .

Moogle: Anyway…..yah, you're very welcome for all the compliments because you deserve every one of them! :D Hopefully you'll update some of your stories and the RPG forum thingy soon since you haven't been doing much of either lately. ::frowns and pouts:: Bad Tailz! I may have to hunt you down and kill you if you leave me in suspense for much longer! ::huggles:: But you know I love you anyway. Thanks for the awesome review and I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Angel YuRiPa - Yay! I was hoping that insanely good was a good thing! . I just hope that you haven't lost interest in my fic because it took so long to update. ::hangs her head in shame:: As you know from reading the "notice to readers" at the beginning, my A:/ drive isn't working. And my computer and I kind of had a fight and now we're not speaking to each other. Not that it matters, since I've used three or four different people's computers to type all this out, but meh, whatever. Thanks for the review! I hope to see another just as wonderful one soon! ::huggles::

Natalie - Whoa whoa whoa. Before you kill me, try reading this chapter. Hopefully you wont hate me as much when you're done. :P ::jumps in front of Sephiroth:: NO! I'll protect you! ::takes the hit and collapses to the floor::

Sephiroth: Um….you do know that it wouldn't have hurt me anyway, right?

What?! ::leaps to her feet and starts beating Sephiroth over the head with a stick:: Thank you for your funny and wonderful review and I'll try not to let anything bad happen to Kagome. (No promises though.)

Author: Seeing as those reader response thingies are done and it's very late at night and I'm sitting in someone else's house babysitting, I say on with the fic!

THISISTHESTUPIDLINEDIVIDINGTHEFICANDTHEAUTHORSNOTES

Kikyo drove Kagome onward for days at a time, only stopping for short breaks whenever the girl was getting so slow that there was no point in continuing. Kagome hadn't spoken since they left the village. It was as though she had drawn herself into her own little world and the empty shell of her body was all that remained. Kikyo knew that feeling. It was how she had felt when the mutt had betrayed her and broken her heart. Still, it was hard not to feel sorry for the girl.

"Stop," Kikyo commanded, placing a hand on Kagome's shoulder. She obeyed, but didn't flinch or acknowledge Kikyo in any way. "Sit down," Kikyo sighed, tired of being nasty and evil to a target that didn't respond or fight back in any way. Kagome sat on the ground, her blank expression staring off at nothing.

"Kagome, you need to eat," Kikyo ordered, placing food in her cupped hands, "you haven't eaten since we left." No reply came from the girl and Kikyo frowned with frustration. Maybe if she could show Kagome how cruel Inuyasha really was then she would come out of her stupor. "You shouldn't worry about leaving that heartless mutt back at the village. He doesn't really love you anyway. He has a short attention span. He would've dropped you like a bad habit in a short while anyway. Trust me."

Tears seemed to form in Kagome's blind eyes and she shook slightly, turning away from her kidnapper. "You can't deny it, girl," Kikyo continued, "why do you think he didn't let you mark him? He doesn't want you to be his mate. He didn't want to make it permanent." Shaking her head, Kagome buried her face in her hands. Kikyo couldn't stand her patheticness any longer and stormed off into the woods to be alone for a while. It wasn't like Kagome could go anywhere on her own or anything. As she wandered through the trees, her anger faded away. Despite her hatred for Inuyasha, she still felt slightly bad for using others to get at him. An idea slowly formed in her mind and brought a sly smile to her slips. That stupid hanyou would never know what hit him.

Inuyasha wrapped himself in a tighter ball, hiding up in a tree where the others couldn't find him. He could hear Sango calling his name, but ignored it. He was sick of planning how to get Kagome back without being able to take any action, he was sick of the way everyone was so careful around him as not to upset him, and most of all, he was SICK of everyone's sympathy. Pity wouldn't get his mate back. He hoped that fool Koga didn't get himself killed. He had rushed of to reason with Kikyo as soon as he had recovered enough to be able to walk. He had told Inuyasha that because Kikyo didn't hate _him_, that she wouldn't react in the same violent way that she would to Inuyasha. If anything happened to Kagome because of that dumbass wolf, he would kill him and Kikyo.

A soft crying sound from below caused him to look down. Shippo was sobbing quietly near the bottom of Inuyasha's choice tree for the night. He couldn't help but feel bad for the little runt. Kagome had practically been his mother and now, because of him, she was gone. Dropping gracefully next to the crying kitsune, Inuyasha pulled Shippo into a hug and let him cry into his neck as Shippo's little arms wrapped tightly around him. "I'll get her back," Inuyasha whispered, nuzzling his 'pup'.

"I promise."

Sango gave up calling for the stubborn hanyou and slumped down near her hut with a forlorn sigh. There was no sound, but the soft whispering of the wind. _We have to help Kagome, before Kikyo gets bored of this and does something horrible_, Sango thought worriedly, straightening the skirt of her kimono. She spotted Miroku walking along the path, head down, and smiled slightly. At least there was still a small light in her life. As the monk got closer, she could see that he seemed to be deep in thought and wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings.

"Are you planning on walking right over me, houshi?" Sango smiled, holding out a hand to stop him from colliding with her where she sat.

"Lady Sango?" he asked in a surprised tone, glancing up and see her for, what seemed like, the first time, "I was just coming to see you."

"I kind of assumed so, since you're here," Sango teased, gazing up at him fondly. Looking slightly nervous, Miroku sat next to her and fiddled with his hands. "I just hope Koga can find Kagome and bring her back safe. Inuyasha blames himself for everything that's happened," Sango said quietly, leaning on Miroku's shoulder. She didn't know if it was her imagination, but he seemed more jittery then usual. "You okay?"

Miroku gave her a half grin and nodded, wrapping an arm loosely around her waist. He had, had about a week to contemplate what he wanted to say to her, but he was still paranoid about every little detail. What if he said the wrong thing and completely screwed up what was supposed to be the most meaningful and romantic moment of a person's life? Her closeness only made it worse for him. His hands were shaky and he could feel cold beads of sweat running down his back. "Sango?" he spoke softly. Her beautiful brown eyes shifted up to meet his and her smile made his stomach do flip flops. "Well……I……you know……that I love you right?" he asked shakily. Sango nodded slowly with a curious look on her face. Miroku cleared his throat and slid his free hand into his pocket. "Well……um….you love me, right?" She nodded again, blushing faintly.

"Miroku, what's all this about?"

Chickening out at the last moment, Miroku pulled his empty hand back out of his pocket and left the ring inside. "Just making sure," he replied quickly, mentally kicking himself for being such a coward.

"Making sure?" Sango asked with a hint of disappointment in her voice, "you're crazier then I thought."

Miroku smiled and kissed her cheek. "I'm not used to being loved," he admitted sheepishly, "I find it hard to believe that anyone could love me."

"Me to," Sango nodded, laughing at the indignant expression on Miroku's face after her comment. She patted his arm, still laughing. "Sorry, I couldn't resist." When she managed stop laughing long enough to catch her breath, she glanced up at the perturbed monk and almost started in again. "I'm sorry, Miroku. I really am. But that look on your face-" Her laughter started again when his expression remained shocked and hurt and he rolled his eyes. Women were strange. Wonderful, but strange. Sango held onto Miroku's arm for support as she laughed and almost fell to the ground.

He smiled slightly at her bent over form. She was gorgeous. Her laughter brought out a rosiness in her cheeks and her eyes sparkled like gems. He hated to be completely cliché but Sango had to be the most beautiful woman on earth.

"I'm sorr-" she began again, but there were suddenly lips upon hers and a strong arm wrapped around her waist, cutting her laughter short. Slipping an arm around Miroku's neck, Sango pulled him in closer and slid onto his lap. Sighing contentedly when they finally separated, Miroku grinned at her.

"I figured that would quiet you," he breathed, kissing her cheek. Instead of replying, Sango nuzzled into his neck and kissed his ticklish spot. "Hey! Quit it!" he yelped, trying to move away. Holding his arm to stop him from escaping, Sango slowly kissed her way up his neck and jaw to his lips again, smirking when she felt him bite back a groan. He tenderly brushed his lip over hers and pulled back to gaze into her beautiful face. "That's cheating."

"We're playing by my rules now," Sango smiled sweetly, shutting him up with another kiss.

Kagome didn't know how much time had passed while Kikyo was gone. She simply sat, emotionless and empty. It couldn't be true. Why would Inuyasha get bored of her? He loved her…..didn't he? Kikyo was just trying to make her hate him. She could never hate him. She had waited too long for him to love her to give up on him now.

A sudden touch to her shoulder made her jump slightly. "Kagome," a familiar voice spoke, "it's all right. I'm here to rescue you."

"Koga?" she asked weakly, her voice quiet from disuse.

"Shhh. We'll be gone before that evil witch gets back." He gently wrapped his arms around her waist and stood, cradling her in his arms. A cry came from Kagome suddenly, almost causing Koga to drop her. "What is it?" he whispered, frowning with concern, "what's wrong?"

"I-I can see," Kagome gasped, touching Koga's cheek fearfully, as though he might not really be there. She could see! It was really him! Koga blushed and she quickly snatched her hand back, feeling dizzy with relief. Kagome's hanyou features were slowly fading back to human as well. Her fangs disappeared and the dog eyes Koga had found so cute vanished into her hair. She was fully human again, cleansed by some unseen force.

Kikyo blinked again and her shoulders sagged with the effort it had taken to heal Kagome through their bond. She staggered for a moment and grabbed hold of a nearby tree for support. Giving herself a moment to let the dizziness pass, she grinned evilly. Now for part two of her plan.

Etching careful patterns on the ground with an intricately decorated fan, she sat cross-legged in the center of one of the completed circles and concentrated. The wind picked up, billowing dust and whipping her long black hair across her face. Not moving a muscle, Kikyo began chanting under her breath, calling on her miko powers to aide her in what she was about to do.

A flickering image began to form, just in front of her, and it became more and more solid as she continued to chant. A long time passed by before she drew a breath at last, opening her eyes to check on her handiwork. A figure stood in front of her, stretching and blinking its eyes like it was just waking up. "Inuyasha," Kikyo smirked, circling the figure, "you're almost identical to the real thing. No doubt the girl will be fooled. Now, servant, it's time to work."

The golden eyes she hated so much met hers and "Inuyasha" bowed slightly to his master. She had created him and he would do anything she asked. "Come," she beckoned, walking back towards the place where she had left Kagome, "you know what it is that I wish you to do." The look-a-like nodded and followed behind her.

Koga had given Kagome quite a while already to recover from the shock of being able to see again and he was starting to get nervous about Kikyo's return. "Kagome, I know you're scared, but Kikyo could come back any second now. We need to get out of here. Are you ready to go now?" Shaking her head, the young girl buried her face in Koga's chest. She didn't want to go. Kikyo could kill her even if she wasn't here anymore, because of the maternity spell she had cast, and if she left if might anger the powerful miko even more and cause her to hurt Shippo or one of her others friends.

Kikyo suddenly materialized from the trees to their left and frowned at Koga. "Put her down wolf, if you know what's good for you. And _her_." Koga tightened his grip on Kagome and took a step back, away from Kikyo.

"L-Leave her alone!" he growled angrily. No way in hell was this bitch taking Kagome away from him again. He would die before letting that happen. Inuyasha emerged from the trees behind Kikyo and quietly crept up to her. Koga fell silent, hoping Inuyasha could attack Kikyo before she noticed him there. "What the hell are you waiting for?!" he snarled when Inuyasha stopped beside Kagome's captor, "GET HER!"

"Now, why would he want to do that?" Kikyo asked in an innocent voice, "my mate would never harm me." Kagome's eyes widened in horror as Inuyasha took Kikyo's hand into his and pulled her over to give her a gentle kiss.

"No," she whispered tearfully, jerking out of Koga's arms, "NO!" Inuyasha pulled back from Kikyo and strolled over to his former love, smirking at her distraught expression.

"What the matter, my _love_? Surprised? I really thought you would've been expecting this by now."

Kagome wiped away tears that were spilling down her cheeks and glared at him. How could he? "Why?" she choked, "why would you do this to me?"

"Because," Inuyasha grinned, "Kikyo's just so much better then you. You're nothing but a cheap knockoff. Why would I want you when a smart, beautiful sophisticated woman will love me, even more then you ever could?"

"That's not true!" Kagome yelled, ignoring Koga's hand on her shoulder. "You said you loved me. ME!" She didn't care how she sounded to everyone. They hadn't been through what she had. "We said we loved each other and you promised you'd always take care of me!"

"Things change," Inuyasha shrugged casually, "sometimes for the worse and sometimes," he paused and smiled lovingly at Kikyo, "for the better."

"YOU BASTARD!" Kagome cried, falling to her knees, "I love you! How could you do this to me?!" Her quiet sobs were the only sound in the small clearing. "I'm nothing but a shard detector," Kagome whispered to herself.

"Oh, but you're a really _good_ shard detector," Inuyasha said in a mocking sympathetic tone.

"Shut up!" Koga growled, jumping forward and shoving Inuyasha away from Kagome. "JUST SHUT THE HELL UP! If you want to be with your stupid whore, then good for you. Get lost and leave Kagome alone!"

"My love, it's cold out here. Can we get home soon?" Kikyo asked in a sickeningly sweet tone.

"Of course," Inuyasha smiled, shooting a glare Koga's way, "come on. There's nothing left for us here." Kikyo climbed onto the puppet's back and laughed in sheer delight as he began running through the trees. Now Inuyasha would never have anyone to love him again. Just like he deserved. After running a few miles away from the clearing, Kikyo climbed off her creation's back and smiled at him.

"You were very useful. I'll have to remember that spell." With a snap of her fingers, "Inuyasha" crumbled and blew away in a cloud of dust, carried on the wind. Hurting Kagome had been a small worry considering what she had achieved. Hopefully that stupid wolf would take her away somewhere where Inuyasha would never find them. He was quite obviously in love with the girl and would probably want to take care of her. Using so much of her power had severely weakened her and Kikyo made up her mind to rest until she recovered the rest of her powers before heading back to finish off her "_love_". Inuyasha still had to pay.

Koga wrapped his arms around Kagome and rocked her gently. No matter what he said or did she wouldn't stop crying. Suddenly, winning her away from Inuyasha didn't seem so important. He wouldn't have cared if she ran off with any other male at this moment, if she would just stop crying. He had never been good with females, humans especially, and had no idea what to do. So he stayed. Just holding her and offering the small amount of comfort that she probably didn't want from him anyway. _I just want her to smile again_, he sighed miserably.

Kagome felt her heart shatter into a million pieces and each one of those pieces embed themselves inside her. Kikyo had been right all along. Inuyasha didn't love her. She had just been a temporary replacement until he found Kikyo again. She was furious and crushed and dead all at the same time. _Why does it have to hurt so much?_ She knew she was scaring Koga. He had wrapped her in a protective embrace and just held her, but she could sense his concern. She thought back to all the times he had been there for her, accepting the painful fact that she would never love him and still sticking by her side anyway. "Oh Koga," she sobbed, hugging him tightly, "I'm so sorry!" Crying harder then before, she felt Koga's hesitant hand gently stroking her hair.

_What was she so sorry for?_ Koga wondered, glancing around for signs of danger. "Kagome," he said gently, still holding her in his arms, "we need to leave this place. It's not safe here. Let me take you back to the dens. It's only an hour or two from here." She nodded wordlessly, still crying, and allowed him to transfer her onto his back like Inuyasha used to whenever they traveled. Wrapping her arms around Koga's neck to hold on, memories flooded back bringing more tears and Koga gave Kagome's legs a gentle squeeze as he broke into a slow run, hoping they could reach his home before dark.

(A/N: I would like to apologize now for the made up names of the wolves. I have no idea what any of their real names are.)

Sasuke came bounding out of the cave excitedly at Koga's scent and stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted Kagome on his back. "What's this Koga? Dinner?" she asked with a smirk.

"Harm a hair on her head and I'll skin you alive before you can even blink," he snarled at the female wolf youkai.

"Easy there," she said defensively, holding her clawed hands in the air. "I won't touch the human." Another wolf joined her as Koga entered his cave, his angry scent clearly telling them all to back off for a while.

"What's eating him?" a slender female asked Sasuke with a curious expression.

"He brought that human back with him," she sighed. "He better not have taken her against her will again. That one knows how to fight back."

"Ah, I see," Akari nodded, her eyes darting to the side to glare at the male peering over at them suspiciously. "Mind your own business!" she growled at Tai. He had been getting on her nerves lately, with Koga being gone for long periods at a time. The stupid male seemed to think he was in charge every time their leader left.

Akari swaggered over to the inside of the cave and raised her eyebrows as she watched Koga gently lower the girl onto a bed of furs and brush back a stray hair that had fallen into her face. "I see you dragged home a bride this time," Akari remarked, causing Koga's head to whip around and face her.

"What are you doing in here?!" Koga demanded, "I don't want anyone bothering Kagome. She's been through enough crap."

"I'm sorry," Akari apologized, kneeling next to Koga, "I didn't realize it was something serious." The two wolf youkais touched foreheads and sat in silence, watching the raven haired girl sleep peacefully. "So, who is she?" Akari asked quietly.

"A friend," Koga replied regretfully. "She's been hurt." He noticed the worried look on Akari's face. "Emotionally. A stupid hanyou gained her trust, loved her, and left her."

"Poor girl."

Koga nodded and leaned over to cover Kagome with a blanket.

"But _you_ love her." Koga froze at Akari's words and then quickly busied himself with tucking the blanket around Kagome's body to avoid answering.

"W-What makes you say that?" he asked casually.

"Whatever. Pretend all you want. You've got the hots for her and you know it." Akari rolled her eyes at her close friend. He was practically her brother and he thought he could hide something this major from her. "I'll be in the female dens when you're ready to come to your senses." Koga shook his head at her retreating form. She was the only female in the pack who dared to speak to him like that. Even Sasuke wasn't that bold. She was just overbearing because of her age. The younger they were the less easy they were to control.

Kagome seemed to be asleep for now so Koga decided to patrol around and see how everyone was doing. A familiar scent reached his nose and he felt he hair on the back of his neck stiffen. He needed to go straighten out Tai before he became a problem to the pack. His brother, Sai, was one of the gentlest wolf youkai he had ever met. The meaner half must've gone to his older brother. "Tai!" he barked out, as he exited the cave. The younger demon turned and grinned when he saw who it was.

"Hey! Look who's finally back. I hear you brought back a human for target practice," he joked with a cocky smile. Koga closed the distance between them quickly and picked up the boy by the front of his shirt.

"Listen and listen well. You need to fix that mouth of yours so that it doesn't make any more stupid sounds. You touch Kagome, you die. You try taking over my command again, you die. Got that?" Tai cringed away from Koga's fierce glare and nodded.

"Got it."

As soon as Koga released him he hurried off as fast as he could. "That was a little harsh," a soft voice spoke from behind him.

"Does everyone know I'm back now?" Koga asked with a sigh, turning to Ryo with a slight smile.

"Only the lucky ones," she confided with an over-played whisper, like it was a big secret.

"It's good to be back, he nodded, touching his forehead to hers, "I trust you females kept our more _active_ members under tight reign?"

"They couldn't so much as breathe without us knowing," she grinned, happy her leader was back. "I'll let you get on with your patrolling." With a bow of her head, Ryo went off to the female part of the caves. It seemed like everyone wanted to welcome him back. He had a feeling that everyone really just wanted to see if the rumor of a human amongst them was true. As he strolled through the dens he noted that Katsuya and Nami were sparring again. Those two always seemed to be at it.

Laio gave him a nod and continued towards the hot springs nearby. Mutou and Hikaru were discussing battle strategies when being attacked by airborne demons. Everyone else seemed to be in good order as well. Tai was probably off sulking somewhere. The pressing need to get back to Kagome made him cut his walk short and head back to his home where he had left her. Ryo and Sasuke were waiting for him outside the cave entrance.

"No fair. Akari got to see her and we don't?" Sasuke pouted, looking at him with pleading eyes.

"Is she beautiful?" Ryo asked shyly, "I heard she was beautiful." Koga sighed and gestured for them to follow.

"Come on you two. You can see her." The three moved deeper into the cave where a soft weeping sound could be heard. "Kagome?" Koga called out into the faint light. He had left a small fire burning so she wouldn't be afraid and alone in the dark when she awoke. "Kagome, I'm here." He hurried to her side and cradled her in his lap, wrapping the furs around her shaking form. The two females sat on either side of him and watched as he whispered comforting words to Kagome, who clung to him like a lifeline. After a while, Kagome stopped shaking and drifted off again in his arms. He lay her down on the soft bed and looked sharply at the two gazing at the human girl everyone seemed to want to see.

"Not a word of this. To anyone. Understood?" The both nodded sadly.

"Why is she crying?" Ryo asked, wiping the girl's cheeks gently with her hand. "Did you take her against her will?" Koga shot her a glare and shook his head.

"No. The one she loved.......he hurt her. He chose another woman after he had already pledged his love to Kagome. She's been waiting for him to come around for a very long time. She took it like a knife to the heart."

"Heartbreak," Ryo nodded, "one of the most painful injuries there is. Take good care of her." Ryo gave him a meaningful look and stood, gesturing for Sasuke to get up as well.

"Send her over to us sometime," Sasuke commented, "we'll do our best to cheer her up. Then maybe she'll see what a handsome youkai you are, Koga. If Ryo can fall for you, some human shouldn't be able to withstand your charms at all." Ryo smacked the back of Sasuke's head and shoved her towards the exit.

"See you later, Koga."

Sighing in relief once they were gone, Koga laid down next to Kagome on the bed of furs. Kagome didn't need an audience right now. Especially not a bunch of gossiping females. She just needed some rest and love and she'd be as good as new with time. If he could've made Inuyasha love her again, he would. Anything to see Kagome happy again, even if it was with someone else. Where was all this noble crap coming from anyway? It hadn't been too long ago when he had been waiting for an opportunity such as this one to steal Kagome for himself. He knew why he _now_ wanted her happy, no matter what the circumstances.

He loved her.

THISISTHESTUPIDLINEDIVIDINGTHEFICANDTHEAUTHORSNOTES

Author: I gonna cut right to the chase. I still have about eleven more pages of other chapters to type out at the moment, so authors notes can kiss my butt. All right? All right. :P Thanks to all of you patient, devoted, loyal, wonderful readers out there who read this chapter and are now going to take the time to review it. I really appreciate each and everyone of you and I'm happy to type until my head explodes if it means making you guys happy. See you all next chapter. (Hopefully much sooner then it took to get these ones up and running. :P) Lots of huggles for all!


	12. Ch12: Kikyo has her way

Sephiroth; :waves hello to the readers and gestures for them to be quiet :whispers: Hey, you guys. The author's feeling a little under the weather at the moment so I'm trying to help her out.

Author; :groans and rolls over in bed:

Sephiroth: Yah. As you can see, she's sick, but she's still doing her best to get her fanfiction typed and updated. Such a dedicated girl. :places a cool cloth on the author's forehead: Sweety, there's some people here to see you.

Author; :turns her head and smiles weakly at the readers: Hi. :sneezes into a Kleenex: I'm glad you guys are here. I caught a weird flu/virus thingy but I got up and finished off this long over due chapter anyway. Sephiroth has been taking care of me, but for some reason I keep waking up naked.

Sephiroth; :smiles innocently:

Author: Anyway, thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I think they're the only things that are stopping me from flopping back into bed and sleeping. I guess I should probably comment on them and what-not. Before I start I wanted to say that I'm glad you have all come to a mutual consensus that Kikyo should die. I've never seen so much swearing. :covers her virgin eyes: Anywho, on with the commenting:P

Mr. Flames – I just have to inform you that your review made me laugh. The part where you said "Kikyo should be shot with a silver bullet. Yes, I'm fully aware that silver bullets kill vampires and I am also aware the Kikyo isn't a vampire, but still, she should be shot…." is funny because I don't think you realized that silver bullets actually kill werewolves, not vampires. :laughs hysterically: Thank you for the laugh though. I still say it's cheating to make your review longer by saying the word EVIL fifty million times, but I take it anyway. :P Yes, you are insane and I'm not answering any of your questions that will probably answer themselves with time anyway and then you wouldn't read any of the new updates because you'd already know what happens so ha! Yes. I'm not telling. :sticks out her tongue: Anyway, thanks for the long (even if you cheated) review and I hope to see another one after this chapter. :D

Sesshy81 – I don't know if Inuyasha will get off his lazy pitiful ass and rescue anyone. The only way to tell will be to……read the chapter:P Sorry, just bugging you. Heeheehee, you said the bitch word. :covers her mouth: Oops. :hands you Kikyo: Here you go. Kill, maim, and destroy. Thank you for your very enraged and heartfelt review. Hopefully this chapter will make you happier…..or it might not…… :huggles: Either way, thank you for the review!

Kagome lover 2009 – I'm curious. What does the 2009 stand for? Just wondering. Awww, you think my story is sweet. :smiles and gives you chocolate: Heeheehee. You said the bitch word too. :covers mouth again: Oops. :P I can't reveal what will happen in the future but if you keep bugging me enough then what you want will probably happen. No guaranties. I hoping for them to be together as much as you are. :huggles: Thankies for the awesome review!

RavenC – I know what you mean. It was just as sad writing them as it probably was for you to read. But since you think the story is amazing I shall give you a free Inu plushie :hands you plushie: He's so cute! And since you told me to continue, I shall. :huggles: Here's me continuing and thanking you for your review. ;) Hope to hear more from you again!

some guy – Awesome name! Wish I'd thought of it. Except mine would be 'some girl'. :P I can't promise that there will be horrible Kikyo suffering, but I'll try my best to fulfill your wishes. Much thanks for your review. And huggles for you too.

kougamustdie – Awww. I'm sorry to hear that. I'm not much of a Kouga hater but I am a 'Kagome not being with Inuyasha' hater so the story will probably work itself out…..unless of course Inuyasha gives up on Kagome and Kouga gets Kagome to fall in love with him…… :grins evilly: Sorry, I'll play nice. Thank for your review and I hope you enjoy this chapter more then the last one.

Jamie – Yay! I like being all over the place! Randomness rocks! I believe it's called angst in fanfiction world though. As long as you love it though, I won't change a thing. Keep in mind though, Kikyo didn't want to kill Kagome, she just wanted to make Inuyasha suffer. It's all part of her master plan…. :rubs hands together: Mwahahaha:ahem: Anyway, I'm going insane so I will leave you will huggles and a tasty chocolate bunny for the road. Taa-taa til next chapter and thank you for the wonderful review. :D

inuGIRL - :grins: Ahhh, finally, someone appreciates the goodness of a disturbing lemon :blushes and looks at the ground in embarrassment: Your crazy. My fic can't be one of the best you've read unless you haven't read a whole lot of fics. :P I'm starting to go over to the dark side. (I'm reading lots of Harry Potter fics instead of Inuyasha) :gasp: And to answer your question, authors are constantly worried that their stories are bad because we all have a scared little child inside of us who (besides wanting to eat LOTS of ice cream) is terrified of rejection. The last thing I want is to get a nasty review. It's very discouraging and we're constantly on the alert for potential flamers who may not like our stores. Thank you for your kind review. :huggles: And I must continue on now so I can eventually get to the fic. :P Til next chapter.

dawn-miko - :grins: The kids are great. Or they will be once they pop out. ;) Still a couple more months to go. More then that actually, it's only been about four. Anyway, you can beat down and severely injure Kikyo and then we can all celebrate and eat ice cream! Yayayayayay:hands you a machete: Good hunting and thanks for your fantabulous review. :D (Don't forget the huggles!)

Candace – I forgive you for the late review! A late review is better then no review at all. :breaks into song: I can see clearly now, the rain is gone :ahem: Just glad the last chapter cleared some things up for you. I'd tell you what I'm planning to do but what fun would be if you knew how things were going to turn out. Wait a minute….you aren't one of those people that reads the last page of a book to see if you want to read it, are you:frowns suspiciously: lol Anyway, (wow I said that a lot don't I?) thanks for the dedicated reviews that continue every chapter and I hope to see another one soon! Enjoy. :D

Sephiroth; :feeds author chicken noodle soup: Stop fighting! You have to eat!

Author; :clamps mouth shut tighter: Mmm mmm. :shakes her head no:

Sephiroth; :sighs in exasperation and flings the spoon across the room: Fine! If you aren't going to eat your dinner then we're starting this chapter without you saying to.

Author; :eyes widen in disbelief: You wouldn't!

Sephiroth: Watch me.

**THISISTHESTUPIDLINEDIVIDINGTHEFICANDTHEAUTHORSNOTES**

Three more weeks had passed by with no sign of Kagome. Inuyasha hadn't quite given up hope, but the future looked bleak. Standing at the outskirts of the village, Inuyasha watched the sun rising and thought of all the mean, nasty things he had ever said to Kagome and all the things he would say and do to make up for it if he could just see her again. He had barely slept since Kikyo had taken her and he had a feeling that this was exactly how Kikyo wanted him to feel. Anxious. Hurt. Exhausted.

Afraid.

Would he ever see her again? Kagome would still be happy and safe at home if it weren't for him. What would her family think if she never came home? She'd already been gone for months and her mother was probably panicking and scared.

A very groggy Shippo stumbled over to the spot where he stood and Inuyasha scooped him up, hugging him gently as he stared off at the path Kagome had disappeared down. There was an empty void inside of him without her, as though someone had carved out the part of his heart that belonged to her. Alerted by a sudden flickering movement at the edge of the trees, Inuyasha set Shippo on the ground and crept towards the spot where he had seen it.

"Wait here," he whispered to Shippo, seeing the kitsune start to follow. He approached the trees stealthily and peered through a bush, seeing nothing but a pale lump on the ground. There were no scents in the air and no sign of movement so he crawled towards the lump, gasping in surprise when a demon darted out from behind him and rushed away like there was a fire burning after it. The creature had no scent!

Growling, Inuyasha tried not to think about what else might be lurking in the bushes that he wasn't able to sense and continued forward, prodding the lump. It seemed to be something covered a large white cloth. With a gentle tug, he pulled the cloth off and paled at what lay before him. The still body was all too familiar even though he couldn't see its face.

He rolled it over with trembling fingers so it was facing him. Deathly white skin stood out against the raven coloured hair that spilled across the lifeless face. "No," he choked, not believing what was in front of his eyes, "NO!" Leaning over the body, he felt for a heartbeat. Nothing. He held his ear to the mouth. Nothing. It couldn't be true! It was a trick!

"Kagome! NO!" he cried, gathering the leaden body in his arms and brushing back the hair from her face. There was no colour in her cheeks and her brown eyes were glazed and unseeing.

Dead.

A scream of pure rage and sorrow escaped Inuyasha's lips and echoed for miles along the forest. "Kagome. Kagome, no!" he sobbed, repeating her name as if it would bring her back from the dead. Tears poured down his face and he began rocking back and forth with her in his arms. _Why her! Dammit, why her! Take me instead! Let this innocent, beautiful woman continue living!_ Burying his face in Kagome's cold neck, Inuyasha sobbed helplessly and rocked faster.

Hours later, Miroku and Sango found him like that, still rocking and crying and murmuring to himself. Kagome's body was sprawled at a strange angle in his arms and her head fell forward and back again as he rocked. Sango let out a cry of horror and recoiled in fear, forcing herself to stop staring at the dead eyes facing their way. She felt frozen, like in a dream. _This has to be a dream,_ she thought desperately, _just a bad dream. Kagome is still alive. She has to be!_ Miroku approached the sobbing hanyou and kneeled down in front of him, tears of his own beginning to roll down his cheeks at the sight of Kagome like _that_. What had happened to their dear friend? He could remember all too well her happy smile, not too long ago, as she played with Shippo and the way Inuyasha brightened up anytime he was near her. He had to get Inuyasha away from the body. It would do him more harm then good to stay with her like this. It was just so hard to accept that she's really gone.

Kagome's gone.

"Inuyasha?" he managed to get out, "Inuyasha, give the body to me." Suddenly becoming defensive, Inuyasha snarled and his eyes glinted dangerously.

"Mine!" he growled, tightening his grip on the limp form, "Mine! You can't have her! She'll be fine! She just needs some sleep!" He started rocking again and his tone became weak and desperate. "She just needs sleep." Sango came over next to Miroku and wiped the tears off her cheeks quickly, putting on her warrior face.

"Inuyasha, we need to take Kagome back to the village. You're going to hurt her if you stay out here." Saying such horrible lies to Inuyasha's face made Sango feel lower then dirt, but she was relieved when he struggled to his feet, still cradling Kagome's body. Miroku went to one side of Inuyasha and Sango to the other and they gently guided him back into the village. People cringed away from them when they saw what was in Inuyasha's arms. Sango couldn't stop the tears from coming as they walked towards Kaede's hut and she felt Miroku's hand on her back. She had thought that things couldn't get any worse, but she couldn't have been more wrong.

:-

A demon scurried over to where a tall black haired woman was waiting for him. It bowed slightly at her feet and smiled maliciously. "It is done, mistress. The mutt believes it is her."

"Good," Kikyo nodded with satisfaction, "I hope he suffers agonizing heartbreak every waking moment for the rest of his days. Then maybe he will understand my pain." Handing the demon a small package, she watched it running off with a smirk spreading across her lips. Inuyasha was getting what he deserved at long last.

:-

Koga nuzzled deeper into the soft furs of his bed, trying to ignore the annoying pain in his back. It got worse as the minutes passed by and he finally sat up, snarling in annoyance. "WHO THE HELL-" He caught himself, seeing Kagome sitting patiently beside Akari, who was poking him repeatedly with her claws.

"Wakey wakey, prince," Akari laughed, "enough drooling on your pillow. Kagome is done with breakfast and wishes to be shown around the forest."

"You know how to do that without me," Koga muttered, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Akari's eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Yes, but then we couldn't have woken you up." Rolling his eyes, Koga stood and stretched out his stiff muscles. When he looked down, Kagome's smile surprised him so much that he almost fell over. It was the first time he'd seen her smile in almost three weeks. "Good morning," he smiled back at her, offering her a hand. Kagome accepted and let him pull her up.

"Akari said we're going hunting today."

"Did she now?" Koga asked with a raised eyebrow. "And how did she expect to go without permission?" Akari smiled sweetly and stood as well, draping her tail around Koga's waist.

"I also told her you would take us and show us the waterfall on the way. She knows you can't resist those eyes of hers. Go on. Look at her and say no." Koga felt heat rising up his cheeks as he glanced over at Kagome's soft brown eyes. He couldn't say much of anything when he looked in those eyes and Akari knew it.

"I...well...um...I think that..." Akari smirked with satisfaction.

"Well then, let's go oh articulate one."

"As you wish, oh annoying one," Koga sighed, surrendering to them since he knew he could never win. He was supposed to be in charge, but Akari often outsmarted him. He didn't mind it, so long as they were in private. She knew better then to show him up in front of the others. It would make him seem like a weak leader and Akari would never do that to him.

It was surprising to see Kagome in such a pleasant mood. She had refused to come out of the cave for the entire first week because she was embarrassed that she continually burst into tears. Eventually, Akari and Ryo had managed to lure her out and had taken her under their wing. She seemed almost content to be looked after by the female wolf youkai and they, in turn, were becoming very fond of her. Sasuke especially loved her and was always playing with her hair and gossiping about whatever it was that young women gossiped about. Kagome fit right in.

Despite all their efforts, he knew she was having a hard time forgetting Inuyasha. He had warned everyone not to bring up anything to do with the mutt and threatened the males to back off. Tai had seemed especially interested in "getting to know" the pretty girl and had been quite annoyed with Koga's warnings.

Akari led them out of the cave, Koga still lost in thought, and stopped when someone called her name. "Akari!" Sai called, gesturing at her, "I need to speak with you." Akari waved to show she'd be there in just a moment and turned to Koga.

"You won't mind taking Kagome on her trip without me, will you? Good. Thanks Koga," Akari said without giving Koga a chance to speak. "I'll see you two later." Koga gritted his teeth as Akari ran over to Sai, who smiled shyly and began talking as they walked away.

"Bloody woman," Koga muttered, forgetting Kagome's presence momentarily.

"It's all right," Kagome assured him quietly, "Akari really likes him. I'm happy he's finally gotten the courage to speak with her." She watched Koga look at her with surprise, as though he had forgotten she was there. "And I don't mind if just you take me for a walk." Nodding carefully, Koga scratched the back of his head and looked out towards the trees. _She doesn't mind if it's just me!_ Kagome was still looking at him intently and he blushed, clearing his throat.

"Well, um, would you like to go then?"

"All right," she agreed, following Koga into the dense forest. They walked in silence for quite some time, neither knowing what to say. Koga wanted to say so many things, but he knew it wasn't the right time or place for it. Kagome studied the wolf youkai as they walked, wondering what he was thinking about. His brown eyes studied the ground intensely and bits of his long ponytail kept wandering in front of his eyes.

She found herself thinking about Koga so she wouldn't have to think about Inuyasha. Even just his name brought a sharp pain to her heart. Instead of dwelling on the pain, she had decided to pretend it never happened. If she tried hard enough, she could make it seem like Inuyasha had just been a dream; Or a nightmare. She knew that letting the stupid hanyou affect her life was just letting him have his way and hurt her more. She wasn't going to let him steal her happiness just because he stole her heart and broke it. She was going to get through this.

"Here we are," Koga's voice suddenly broke through her thoughts. She looked up towards the spot Koga had stopped and gasped. Trying to take everything in at once, Kagome stepped closer to the cascading water that sparkled out of a naturally formed break in the rock high above them. It all spilled down into a sparkling pool of crystal water that was half shaded by a few large trees growing around it.

"Wow," was all she managed to say as she knelt down at the shoreline, gazing out over the water.

"I thought you'd like it here," Koga smiled, sitting next to her. The water reflected light from the sun and caused patterns to dance along Kagome's face. He was so entranced that he couldn't help but stare at her. Luckily Kagome was too busy watching the waterfall to notice his adoration. "How are you feeling?" he questioned gently, watching her run her fingers through the clear water.

"Sad," Kagome sighed truthfully, "but better. It helps having you here." She smiled over at Koga, who seemed relieved that she was recovering, even if it was slowly. She leaned a little too far over the water edge and suddenly fell in with a loud splash.

"Kagome!" Koga yelped, jumping up to help her. She spluttered to the surface and grinned up at him. The evil grin didn't register at first and he held out his hand to help her out of the water.

"Thanks," Kagome smiled, grabbing his hand and pulling. Koga wasn't expecting the strong tug and fell in beside her. As he came to the surface he glared at the laughing girl who had pulled him in.

"That, was mean," he pouted, trying to regain some dignity. Kagome was laughing so hard he was surprised she could stay above the water.

"You should've seen your face!" she cackled, grabbing onto his arm to keep from sinking, "priceless!" Glowering, Koga kicked his feet and swam for the shore, Kagome still holding on. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned on his upper back, still laughing. It seemed to be infectious and Koga started chuckling even though he didn't find being soaking wet amusing in the least. Straining only a little, Koga pulled them both up onto the dry land and flopped onto his side, wondering how to un-attach Kagome from his shoulders. She let go on her own and stood up, still giggling.

"I didn't know that you don't like water, Koga," she commented as he shook off and wrung out his furs with a sour expression on his face. He squeezed more water out of his hair.

"Well, now you do."

"The more you're in it, the more you'll like it," Kagome said firmly, smiling evilly at him once again.

"Huh?" Before he had a chance to react, Kagome had pushed him back into the water and begun laughing again. _That's it!_ he growled to himself, kicking to the shore and lunging for Kagome. She yelped when he jumped her, ignoring her protests and struggles, and jumped back into the water again still holing her. They both surfaced and Kagome splashed water at Koga's grinning face.

"Jerk!" she laughed, almost to the point of enjoying herself. Koga grabbed her around the waist and pulled her out deeper towards the waterfall.

"I'm not quite a jerk yet," he smirked, shoving her under the falling water and swimming for his life. Managing to escape from the torrent of water, Kagome swam after Koga, murderous intents on her mind. She caught up with him just as he was climbing out of the water and tackled him to the ground, getting them both covered in mud.

Wrestling her into submission, Koga laughed triumphantly and held Kagome pinned to the ground. "Now what are you going to do?" Koga grinned, knowing he had won. Her cheeks went slightly red and he realized Kagome was pressed between his body and the ground. Laughing nervously, he jumped up and brushed some of the wet mud from his chest. "Maybe we should save the hunting lessons for another day," he commented, coughing slightly to try and hide his awkwardness. Kagome got up slowly, still watching him with a slight smile.

"And what am I, the prey?" Not knowing how to reply, Koga shrugged and turned in the direction of the caves. No sound but the birds disturbed the silence for a while and Kagome finally stepped up beside the blushing youkai.

"Let's head back. It's a little chilly just standing here."

"All right," he nodded, starting off at a brisk walk. Kagome caught up with him and slipped her hand into his.

"Thank you," she smiled, leaning on his shoulder, "for being there for me. You're a good friend." Koga's face fell a little. _Friend. And that's all I'll ever be._ The day was getting warmer as they walked and Kagome noticed the sounds of the wolf youkais up ahead. "Sounds like we are almost there," she noted, glancing over at Koga's thoughtful expression. "I'm going to go check in on Akari and Ryo. They wanted to see about something when we got back. Akari would've told me what it was all about but she didn't come with us." With a carefree shrug, Kagome gave Koga a quick kiss on the cheek and hurried off to find the females.

"See you later, Koga," she called over her shoulder. Koga touched a hand to his cheek and sighed. _If only she felt the same._

Kagome spotted Ryo lounging with Akari near the entrance to the females' caves and headed their way. "How was your walk?" Akari smiled knowingly, eyeing Kagome's wet, muddy clothing.

"I fell in the water," she blushed, "and Koga had to get me out."

Ryo rolled her eyes. "Right...you "fell"..."

Shaking her head Kagome sat down next to them. "I did. Now stop teasing me. Shouldn't Akari share what happened with Sai that made her unavailable to walk with us?" Akari blushed and smiled at the same time, refusing to meet Ryo's accusing stare.

"You went off with Sai and didn't tell me the juicy details!" Ryo asked in a hurt tone.

"Oh, leave me alone," Akari laughed, "we only talked." Kagome and Ryo exchanged looks, but didn't comment.

"Well, anyway, we found something that we thought would look nice on you, Kagome," Ryo stated, "and it would definitely catch Koga's attention." Kagome leaned back against the rock wall with a sigh.

"I don't need anymore attention from him. I've already got enough as it is."

"With time, you'll learn to enjoy it," Akari teased with a grin. "Now come on. We've got work to do." The two wolf youkai dragged a protesting Kagome into the caves, Sasuke joining them and smiling just as evilly.

Koga was going over battle plans with a group of males, taking suggestions for how to deal with flying enemies, when he suddenly realized that they weren't attention to him anymore. He followed their line of sight with his eyes and his gaze fell upon a beautiful woman in a form fitting, deep red kimono with a golden dragon that flared up the thigh. Her hair was twisted up into a bun, with strands purposely left down, framing her delicate face.

"Kagome?" Koga uttered, completely dumbfounded. He could practically feel the lust radiating from the males in front of him and sharply ordered them to keep their minds on the task at hand. Sai was the only one who didn't seem interested, but he probably only had Akari on his mind. Grumbling and muttering, the rest turned back to Koga who continued his lecture, a little more flustered then he had been before. No one noticed Tai slip out of the group on his own.

**THISISTHESTUPIDLINEDIVIDINGTHEFICANDTHEAUTHORSNOTES**

Author; :sits calmly in bed, watching tv:

Sephiroth; :gently nursing his wounds: You didn't have to go psycho on me for starting the chapter! Geez woman! That hurt!

Author: It's your own fault.

Sephiroth: Is not.

Doorbell: Ring ring.

Sephiroth; :answers door and frowns at salesman: What do you want?

Salesdude: Wazzup ma homedogs? How would you like to own your very own brand new camel? Watch out, they spit.

Sephiroth: No thanks. :slams door in his face:

Author: Who was it?

Door: Knock knock.

Sephiroth: Just a sec. :opens door and smiles at the beautiful young woman on the door step:

Sexy lady: Hello. :smiles seductively: Can I interest you in a five million dollar penny?

Sephiroth:staring: Hell yes!

Author: Shut the door! It's cold!

Sephiroth; :grabs the penny and slams the door in the woman's face: Look what I got! It's shiny:grins:

Author; :shakes her head: I'm sick, remember? You're supposed to be taking care of me. I'm calling in a replacement :waves her author wand and Allan Rickman appears: Oops. :waves it again and he disappears and a big bowl of lime sherbet takes his place:

Sephiroth: The hell? You're replacing me with a frozen dessert?

Author: Damn straight. :ignores him and begins talking to her new limey friend:

Sephiroth: Well, she's officially lost it.

Author; :holds up the bowl: Limey says thank you everyone for your awesome reviews. And I know you all hate me still for ending it and creating such a short chapter so I apologize. Hopefully Tai will sneak out the group to do something _good_, not something horrible like…..hurt Kagome. :clears throat quickly: Poor Inuyasha. He never gets a break.

Sesshoumaru: Watcha doing?

Inuyasha; :leans back on a couch, eating a Kitkat: I'm having a break. Chillaxing.

Sesshoumaru: Well, what _were_ you doing?

Inuyasha: Nothing, as usual.

Sesshoumaru: So if you weren't doing anything, then how do you know that you're taking a break?

Inuyasha: Cause I'm eating a Kitkat!

Sesshoumaru: Dude. That's totally awesome :grabs the Kitkat and runs:

Inuyasha: Hey!

Author: See? No break for him. :P Anyway, random insanity aside, thanks for your guys' awesomeness and I'll see you all next chapter:D (Don't forget to review!)


	13. Ch13: Out with the old, in with the new

Author: Wow! An update! It's……it's a miracle! And to think I finished this chapter in between my classes in university. Woot! I'm a smartie now. Can you believe I'm done highschool? I sure can't. What kind of parallel universe are we living in that a girl who still feels like she's in grade 9 can get admitted to SFU:P Anyway, enough with my strangeness. I better reply to all those fantastic reviews you guys left for last chapter. 

same guy – well it's nice to know that people don't even remember what's going on. :P Maybe you should read over those chapters you bad boy. Thank you though that you like my chapter. I always try and incorporate ideas from reviews I get as well as reading over my chapter quite a few times to perfect it. It may sound a little rushed near the end, but it's probably cause it was. Anyway, thank you for the heartwarming review and I hope to see another one this chapter. :huggles:

Kenshkrix – Random insanity is the best kind of insanity there is, hands down. If it's planned insanity then it's not very insane is it? I know the "continue soon" thing never seems to happen, but I'm working on it. I have about one paragraph done for my Vincent/Tifa fic so I'm in big trouble with that. Hopefully by the time this is posted, I'll be done with that one as well. Just to warn you, "update soon" is also a rarity. :P Thanks for your fantabulous review! Lots of huggles and keep reading!

Yukinas sis – that was good. Lol. Thanks for the short but sweet review.

Inu-Yashas-Angel-Kagome – I don't know what I was on when I wrote that kitkat part for the end author's notes but I hope all my readers will forgive me for my frequent momentary lapses of sanity. I can't tell you if it's kag/Inu or kag/Koga because if you knew the answer to that then what would keep you reading my fic? Besides the wonderfully written chapters of course….. :ahem: I'm glad you agree that this fic is great cause I think you're great too! Have a huggle to go and read this chapter please:P Thanks again.

YokoShippo – beware of the strange reviewy goodness…..

DemonBitch-kikyohater - #1: I can't answer that question without ruining a lot of the plot and storyline and whatnot and #2; even if I could tell you, I probably wouldn't. ahahaha. Cause I'm evil and I hate it when people give away the ending. So you'll just have to go crazy for a while longer until eventually the story answers that for itself. :huggles: And have a nice day! (Since you gave me such a nice review)

Serena – Two simple words. Plot device. You're having the exact reaction to the story that you're supposed to. It's perfectly normal to get angry at an author when they make the story go in a different direction then you were expecting. All will be explained next chapter when Inuyasha pays a little visit to Kagome's time again….. You're review was wonderful and I hope to hear from you again this chapter. :supermegahuggles:

Syuga – you must review more! Please. :P thanks for the review 

Lover4Inuyasha – Wow, so much hate in such a small amount of writing. You may need to take a few anger management courses or kill a few people…… heh heh heh. Go talk with Mr. Flames…. And since you are my fellow sickie, go take your meds and get into bed. Thanks for taking the time to review even through the pain and suffering. :huggles for you: You can look for my FFXI story soon since I should be updating it around the same time as the other three…. (I hope :P) Anyway, hope to hear more from you this chapter.

Inuyasha'sMYlover – interesting name first of all, untrue, but interesting. (Inuyasha's mine girls!) I kinda got lost amongst all those "asses" but I get the gist of the review. Who knows, maybe Tai will try to have his way, but Koga may interfere with it…… Of course Kagome can stand up for herself, but why let her when a handsome wolf youkai could do it for her?

Dying-Black-Rose – I, the author (note the AUTHOR part), am here to say I really don't care about being threatened. If you don't like where the story's going then simply don't read it. I love your support and reviews, but it's taking it kind of far to try and force me to do the fic the way you want it. Who says Kagome and Inuyasha wont be together? It's called angst and story line and plot. It there were no conflicts it wouldn't be interesting so calm down, take a chill pill and enjoy the ride. ;) :huggles for you: No more threats or my limey friend might pay you a visit……

Kikyo Hater 123467 – OMG, I love your review:P Sorry, I seem to be taking reviews and converting them into replies. Lol. I hope this extra long chapter will satisfy your need and I'll do my best to start updating sooner. Sorry for the super long wait and please forgive me. Thank's for the #1 comment, you made me blush. :huggles: And I'll update soon! 

Mr. Flames – Don't worry about Koga, he's a little busy at the moment…… heh heh heh. He can't kill you…..yet. If you want to know what happens then you'd better read this chapter. I'm tired of writing longs replies and since you know me personally, I know you won't be offended. :hands you chocolate and superhuggles: Enjoy! (thanks for the super long review!)

Kip 430 – I guess the winking and nudging didn't work that well since it took me so long to update anyway. :P Kikyo deserves to burn in hell, doesn't she? I dunno though, Inuyasha can be a pretty big jerk to Kagome sometimes. Maybe he deserves it…… (That oughta get a few flames) lol. Anyway, thanks for the love and reviews and enjoy the chapter.

Author: Whew. That was a long set of reviews. Hopefully you're all still reading this story so I'm not just talking to myself.

:crickets chirp:

Author: eheh……well……I'm gonna cut to the chase and get back to my calculus stuff. Hope you all enjoy this long awaited chapter and review!

Oh, and just to warn everyone, I don't know the name of Kagome's mom, so from now on I'm going to call her Rae. Okay? Okay! (If anyone knows her actual name please tell me. Thanks. :D)

**THISISTHESTUPIDLINESEPARATINGTHEFICANDTHEAUTHORSNOTES **

Kagome strolled along outside, wiping a stray tear off her cheek. The three females had been having the time of their lives dressing her up in the elegant kimono and doing her hair, when the red colour of the kimono had suddenly reminded her of Inuyasha's haori. She could barely keep the forced smile on her face as they continued their pampering. Eventually Akari noticed her somber mood. After apologizing profusely for forcing her to wear the outfit, the guilty female had said Kagome could take it off first if she wanted. They had all seemed worried when she just left without a word. They didn't know that she had been about to cry. She didn't want them to see her like that anymore.

A breeze tugged at the skirt of the kimono and blew her hair in her face. Sighing heavily, Kagome closed her eyes and leaned on a tree at the edge of the forest. She was trying so hard to forget about her first love, but these memories refused to go away. She missed Shippo, Sango and even Miroku, but she was too ashamed to go back to the village. Except for going back home through the well, Koga's pack seemed like the only place she wasn't afraid to show her face.

Arms enclosed her waist and she glanced up sharply to see one of the males smiling seductively down at her. "Stop it. Please leave me alone," she said firmly, gently pushing his hands away. They came right back and began caressing her sides. Frowning angrily, Kagome shoved him away and put her hands on her hips. "I said stop it! What do you think you're doing!"

Tai smiled and roughly pulled her back into his arms. "Taking what should be mine, human. Nothing this beautiful should go to waste. Especially not with our pathetic leader." He pushed her deeper into the trees and forced her down onto the ground, inhaling her arousing scent. Smirking, he grabbed her fists as she tried to hit him. "The more you fight, the more I'll enjoy this." His eyes glinted dangerously as though he was daring her to try.

"Please," she whispered, another tear running down her cheek, "don't do this." He was too strong for her to escape and she felt helpless as he nipped at her neck, kissing along the neckline of her kimono. "Please," she begged, "please stop."

"Quit your whimpering, girl," he snarled, nipping her flesh hard enough to draw blood. "If you stopped struggling it would be over much quicker." Kagome whimpered as he crushed her lips with his and his hands slipped inside her kimono, running over her soft skin. She bit his lip as hard as she could and he almost howled with the pain of it.

"Bitch!" he growled, backhanding her across the face, "you'll be begging me to give you more by the end of this. I can either give you pleasure or pain. Don't make me hurt you." His expression softened when he saw the cut his claws had made across her cheek. "Forgive me," he apologized gently, "I have a bit of a temper." Leaning over her struggling form, he licked the bloodied spot on her face.

"Stop it!" she cried, yelling in the hopes that someone would hear her. His mouth covered hers again, muffling her cries, as his hand went lower in her kimono exploring places that made her gasp in disgust. She managed to free a hand and punched him in the face as hard as she could manage.

"I warned you," he said, dangerously quiet, ignoring the pain of his throbbing jaw, "I guess you want to do it the hard way." Using a strong hand to cut off her air supply, Tai rubbed his body along Kagome's and found he was breathing heavily. He was getting to the point where he felt the need to be in the kimono with her. Her struggles were lessening and he suddenly remembered to let her breathe. A dead mate was no use to him.

Pressing his body hard against hers, he knew she could feel his want for her throbbing against her covered thigh and moved his hands up her body to grope at her chest. He needed to give her a moment to catch her breath before unleashing his need upon her.

The next second he suddenly found himself being smashed headfirst into a tree.

Staggering to his feet, he vomited from dizziness and fell to his knees. Koga stood above him, seething and fists clenched. Letting out a roar, Koga picked him up by the throat and smashed Tai's face into the tree again, dropping him and hurrying to Kagome's side. He quickly pulled the beautiful kimono fully shut again and helped her sit up. Finger marks made purple bruises along her windpipe and a deep gash was bleeding down her face.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to the shaking girl, "I wasn't there to protect you." Kagome was still gasping for breath and jerked away from him when she saw who it was. "Kagome?" he said, sounding hurt, "what's wrong? I'm here to help you."

"Stay away!" she cried, scrambling away from her friend. Holding her kimono tightly shut, Kagome stood and stumbled back towards the caves with wide, terrified eyes. Akari had come running at the sound of Koga's angry screams and Kagome went straight into her arms, sobbing quietly.

_She's scared of me._ Koga realized with a start. _Because I'm male too._ He growled in anger and kicked Tai in the chest, feeling satisfaction at the crunch of the bastard's ribs. "If I ever see you within five miles of here again, I'll kill you," Koga snarled at the gasping youkai on the ground. Giving him one last kick, Koga headed after Akari and the others that were following her. Drops of rain fell on him as he caught up with the group, trying to get through to Kagome.

"Leave her," Ryo spoke gently, placing a clawed hand on his arm, "she's frightened and Akari will make sure she's all right for now."

"I didn't get to her in time," Koga said helplessly, collapsing to the ground. Rain began falling harder as the fallen leader bowed his head to the ground in defeat. He had let harm come to Kagome. She would never trust him to protect her again.

"Don't blame yourself," Ryo ordered fiercely, "it was not your hand that wronged her. Get up and start acting like the leader you are. We can't have everyone seeing you like this. Go to your cave and compose yourself."

Koga did as she said, feeling like a pup scolded for fighting. He hadn't been _sent_ to his cave in years. Sitting on his bedding, Koga sighed and curled up in a ball. Why did everything have to happen to Kagome? The poor girl just couldn't seem to get a break. Would she ever trust him again?

Kagome clung to Akari, her shoulders heaving with sobs, and tried to forget the horrid feeling of that wolf youkai's hands on her body. She desperately wanted a bath. The feeling of violation was so strong that she just wanted to rip her skin off. Akari rubbed her back gently and rocked her like she was a little child. She felt scared and alone, unable to protect herself. Just like a little girl. Akari continued comforting her until a few hours later when she finally stopped crying uncontrollably. Her body wouldn't stop shaking, but at least the tears had stopped.

"Akari?" she whispered shakily, releasing the female from her iron tight grip. The pretty wolf youkai frowned with concern.

"Yes?"

"Can I be alone for a little while? I'd like to change into my other clothes if I could." Akari nodded and quickly scrambled to grab Kagome's clothes that had been left in the back corner of the cave.

"Here you go," she smiled sadly, handing her the bundle, "I'll be in Ryo's cave if you need me again, okay?" Kagome sniffed loudly and took the clothes from Akari.

"Okay………. Thank you for understanding."

"Things will get better," Akari said quietly, "I promise."

Waiting until her friend left, Kagome scrambled shakily to her feet, changing quickly, and headed for the nearby hotsprings to scrub herself until she felt clean again. If she ever could.

:-:

Koga let out a contented sigh and sank deeper into the soothing water, emerged up to his chin. The hotsprings seemed to suck the weariness and soreness out of his muscles and the longer he soaked the better he felt. It was almost as though he could soak away all his problems as well. Taking a deep breath, Koga plunged under the warm water and swam smoothly along. He just wanted to stay here forever and pretend nothing bad ever happened. Kagome was safe and happy and all was right with the world. Coming up for air, he went under again and swam towards the shore. He was so caught up in the sheer bliss of the water that he didn't hear the quiet splash nearby.

:-:

Kagome carefully snuck out of the cave and headed for the hotsprings, hoping Akari wouldn't catch her. She just needed to be alone. Her body shuddered and she rubbed her arms, trying to dismiss the shivers. How could someone do that to another person? It was just wrong. To think what might have happened if Koga hadn't come along right at that moment...

Shaking her head to clear it of thoughts, she stopped at the water's edge and pulled off her jeans and shirt with force, throwing them down in a heap. Dropping into the water quickly, Kagome scrubbed at her body fiercely and wished she had thoughts to bring some soap with her the last time she left home. Not that it would've mattered since she had left her backpack in the village anyway.

Biting her lip to hold back tears, Kagome leaned back to emerge her hair in the water as well. _I wonder where Koga is?_ Kagome thought guiltily, scrubbing her legs until the skin felt red and raw. _I'm surprised he didn't bust in there with Akari and demand to take care of me. I hope he didn't feel too hurt when I ran from him. I just needed to get away from everything._ As the thought passed through her mind, she suddenly noticed a pile of clothing not too far from her own. The very familiar outfit made her pale and she quickly slid down into the water, so that it covered her from her shoulders down, just as an oblivious wolf youkai broke through the surface of the water.

Koga didn't see her at first as he rubbed water from his eyes and stretched with a loud yawn. "Kagome," he sighed out loud, "how am I supposed to tell you-" He froze, feeling someone watching him. Turning to the side he blushed crimson at the sight of Kagome covered by nothing more then water.

"Koga!" she shrieked, crossing her arms over her chest even though she was already hidden under the water, "what are you doing here!"

"Apparently then same thing as you," he commented, covering his eyes with a hand. "So you can get out and get dressed while I'm not looking, all right?"

"ME!" she exclaimed, "you get out! I'm not moving until you're gone!"

"But...I just...I didn't want you to see...yah..." Koga trailed off and coughed with embarrassment. "Well then I guess we're both stuck here."

"Fine by me," Kagome remarked stubbornly, "I'll just finish up my bath." She resumed scrubbing her skin under the water and turned her back to Koga.

"Are you okay?…… I mean...did he hurt you?" Koga asked suddenly, looking extremely guilty.

Kagome looked over her shoulder and smiled sadly at his ashamed expression.

"He hurt me a little," she nodded, touching a hand to her throat, "but there wasn't anything you could've done. You stopped him before...he could go further. You saved me, Koga."

Koga frowned and closed the distance between them, turning her and touching a hand to the cut on her cheek. His eyes filled with tears as he took in the deep purple marks on her pale neck. "I should've killed him," he growled quietly, forgetting their current 'lack of clothing', "I should've made him suffer!" Crushing Kagome in a tight hug, he sighed heavily. "I should've gotten there sooner."

Kagome could feel her face going crimson as Koga held her, naked, against his bare chest. "Stop blaming yourself for this, Koga," Kagome ordered quickly, "and I'd appreciate it if you'd let me get dressed first the next time you want to hug me." As he let her words sink in, Koga realized that his arms were wrapped around Kagome's bare back and that her exposed chest was pressed into his.

"Sorry!" he cried, releasing her like he'd been burned, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'll look away now all right? Just hurry up and get something on for god sakes!" Kagome knew her face was as red as his and crossed her arms over her chest self-consciously. As he turned his back to her, Kagome scrambled out of the water and hurriedly dried herself and pulled on her clothes.

"It's safe now," Kagome called, watching him hesitantly turn around at the sound of her voice.

"Um...can I get out too?" Koga asked with a blush.

"Okay," she smiled slightly, "hurry up then."

Blushing fiercely, he shook his head at her and refused to come out of the water. "YOU CAN'T WATCH!" he exclaimed, making her laugh.

"All right. All right. I'm not looking." Covering her eyes, she turned away as Koga had done for her and sat, waiting for him to dress. A hand tapped her should a few moments later and she looked up at Koga's downcast expression.

"I'll never let anything happen to again," Koga promised, kneeling down to hug her protectively, "I swear."

"I trust you," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him, "and I'll do my best not to get into too much trouble." Relief washed over her as his hand stroked her hair. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to forget about her friends. They hadn't had any trouble forgetting her….

:-:

The slow procession of people made their way along the village path, a solemn feeling settling over everyone as they walked. Muffled sobs could be heard throughout the small group and the four villagers carrying the makeshift platform kept their heads bowed respectfully. The path was lined with fresh flowers and other small gifts that had been contributed to show love and respect to the deceased. The short journey ended as they reached the open shrine where Kaede was waiting for them, dressed in ceremonial robes. The platform was placed at her feet and everyone bowed their heads, hearts filled with immense sorrow.

Inuyasha gritted his teeth to keep back the helpless tears that threatened to spill over. The sight of Kagome's still, lifeless body was almost enough to send him over the edge again. "Kagome…..," Shippo's quivery voice whispered, a small hand out-stretched towards her. Inuyasha bit his lip fiercely, tasting blood as he fought back the anguished cries building up in his throat. Scooping up Shippo in his arms, he hugged him tightly, keeping the small kitsune from seeing his adopted mother like this.

Kaede began to speak, telling of Kagome's time she had spent helping with the search for the shards, the way she touched the lives of everyone she met, how kind and loving she was… As the list went on, Inuyasha couldn't stand it any longer. With a pained sob, he fell to his knees and slammed a clawed hand into the earth. Shippo's quiet wails added to his anger and shame that he had failed to protect someone he loved so deeply. Why, of all people, did Kagome have to die!

A gentle hand touched his shoulder and for a moment he almost believed it was her, come back to comfort him one last time. He opened his eyes, shifting them to the person now kneeling next to him. Sango's tearstained face did nothing to help comfort him and he wrapped his arms around his friend when the sobbing demon slayer collapsed against him, heart-wrenching sobs muffled by his haori. "I'm sorry," he choked, gripping her tightly, "I couldn't save her. I just couldn't do anything. I'm so sorry….." They held each other, crying, and Shippo clung to Inuyasha's side desperately, not fully understanding why his heart hurt so much.

Kaede finished her speech tearfully, wiping at her eyes before kneeling next to the platform at her feet. She passed a hand over the young girl's body, cleansing her of any impurities that remained, then spoke quietly. "Lady Kagome, you have been a most courageous young woman and wonderful friend to us all. May ye pass on into the next life blissfully and be in a better place then this tainted earth. All of us loved ye dearly and would surely die in your place. Please be well, wherever ye are." Not a single eye was dry as Kaede gently lifted Kagome's limp body and placed it on the altar, bending to grab a small, lit torch.

"May your memory live on forever, young miko."

Kaede touched the torch's flame to the straw underneath Kagome's body and it flared to life, flickering through the dry grass and eating at Kagome's clothing. Inuyasha raised his head to watch, horrified as the fire ate through his love, his life…….his everything.

"Kagome, no!" he screamed, releasing Sango and throwing himself at the fiery altar, trying desperately to put out the flames.

"Get back, Inuyasha," Kaede ordered softly, touching Inuyasha's tense shoulder. He reluctantly stopped his wild flailing and let his arms drop to his sides, breathing heavily.

"I can't…….let her go…..," he growled, clenching his fists tightly.

"She's gone, Inuyasha," Kaede sighed, holding back tears for his sake, "you _need_ to let her go."

"YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" he roared, shoving the old woman out of his way and running as fast as he could into the forest. His hair flew like silver streamers behind him as he crashed through the underbrush and dodged trees. Tears streamed down his face as he ran, on and on, not really caring where he went. His energy began to waver after awhile and he finally stopped, collapsing to the ground. "She's not……gone," he gasped, "she's not……." He lay in the dirt, panting and sobbing, and felt a deep pain fill his chest, as if blades were stabbing repeatedly into him.

"Why?" he whispered aloud. "WHY!" He jumped up, anger renewed, and smashed his fist into a tree, shattering it into fragments. "WHY!" His fists smashed through everything he could reach and his eyes began to glow a deep, blood red as his fury flowed through him.

When he awoke some time later, his was head pounding and his body throbbing painfully. "Kagome," he whispered, weeping helplessly into the ground. Why was life so cruel?

:-:

Koga watched with an amused smile as Kagome tried her best to track a nearby deer by scent. She was going the opposite direction of her prey and he didn't have the heart to tell her she just wasn't cut out to be a wolf youkai. "Kagome," he called, seeing her start to wander off the path, "you should watch where you're going." She rolled her eyes at him and continued on her way. "And if you don't mind me asking, are you sure that the deer went that way?"

"Would you like to try and find it?" she asked with exasperation, "let's see you do any better." She knew it was a stupid thing to say as soon as it left her mouth and prepared to be humiliated by Koga's keen hunting skills. Koga smirked and took her by the hand, leading her in almost the exact opposite way she had been heading. A few minutes later, he parted the branches in front of them and the deer's head snapped up, looking around fearfully, before it sprinted away.

"Fine," she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest, "so you're better then me. So what?"

"Awww, someone's jealous," Koga teased, "don't worry. With time, you'll learn well enough."

"Time!" she gasped suddenly, "oh my gosh! I have to tell my mom I'm all right. I've been gone for so long and I didn't even let her know I was leaving!" Kagome's panicked expression worried Koga and he scooped her into his arms and started running back to the caves.

"What do you mean by 'time'?" he asked as he ran, "surely your mother knows of Inuyasha and the shards." He bit his lip as she winced at the mutt's name.

"That well we went through," she explained, "it takes us five hundred years into the past or the future. I'm not from this time."

"I…..see….," he nodded slowly, "so this well takes you to another time? And your mother can't come through?"

"She probably wouldn't try," Kagome sighed, "I have to go see her and let her know I'm all right."

Koga gazed at her thoughtfully, a new worry beginning to eat at him. "You won't be……..staying…….there, will you?"

"I don't know," Kagome shrugged, "maybe. I'd like to tell my mom everything that's happened…..within moderation. I'll just let her know that I'm staying with you for a while. She doesn't have to know why……"

"I'll come with you," he confirmed, slowing as they reached the caves.

"Thank you," she smiled, "it's nice to know I'm in good hands." Koga blushed as she jogged over to her cave she was sharing with Akari. How one woman could have such an effect on him, he would never know.

"Ready!" she called, running out with her school uniform on again. He felt slightly disappointed since he'd enjoyed seeing her in furs like the rest of the females. There was something slightly different about her. Her eyes maybe? Were they that sad before? Koga tilted her chin up with a hand and inspected her critically. Yes, something about her eyes.

"Koga?" she whispered, sounding a little awkward, "can I have my face back?" He let go quickly, blushing again, and bent down for her to climb onto his back. As soon as she was on, he took off again, waving to Akari as they passed her. Kagome held tightly to his shoulders, trying not to notice how nice his back felt against her, or the softness of his toned body. Her cheeks had a deep blush by the time they reached the well and he set her down again.

Koga noticed her embarrassed expression and watched her carefully as he stretched his arms. "Are you okay, Kagome?"

She nodded quickly and flipped her hair over her shoulder nervously. "Fine. Just worried about my mom." She waited for him at the well until he was done working the kinks out of his shoulders and he could've sworn her hands were shaking as he lowered her into the well. Jumping after her, he felt the slight jolt like last time and landed gracefully next to Kagome. She was still untangling herself from the strange position she had arrived in.

"Quit looking," she ordered, trying to keep what little dignity she had left. Koga obediently turned away and did his best not to laugh. "Yah, yah. Laugh it up," she grumbled, standing and pulling herself out of the well.

Koga couldn't help but smile as he followed her out and over to the house. Kagome said a silent prayer, as she entered the house, that her mom was home and wasn't too upset with her.

"Mama?" she called, searching the living room. Koga trailed behind her and noted that the house has a comfortable, welcoming air to it.

"Kagome!" a panicked voice spoke from the kitchen, "Kagome, is that you!"

"Mama!" she cried, running into her mother's arms and hugging her tightly. Rae stroked her daughter's hair and kissed the top of her head.

"Oh, Kagome. I was so worried. I came home and you and Inuyasha were gone. It's been so long I thought……oh my baby." She squeezed her tighter and Koga shifted awkwardly, feeling like an intruder.

"Mama, I'm okay. You can stop crushing me now." Kagome smiled as her mother released her and glanced over at Koga.

"And who's this strapping young lad? Where's Inuyasha, for that matter?"

Kagome looked down at her feet sadly. "I'm not really sure where Inuyasha is right now. This is my friend Koga, mama. He's been watching out for me for the last couple weeks."

"I'm very happy to meet you," Rae smiled, engulfing Koga in a hug. When she pulled back to inspect him, Koga's cheeks were bright red. "Aren't you a handsome little thing," she grinned, "I'm glad Kagome has such good friends that take care of her while she's gone."

"Mama, you're embarrassing him," Kagome laughed.

"I'm just so relieved that you're okay, Kagome," Rae said, letting Koga go, "please, never do that to me again."

"I won't, mama. I promise." Souta came into the room playing a hand-held video game and looked up sharply at the sound of Kagome's voice.

"Kagome!" he yelled excitedly, flinging himself onto her, "you're home!" Koga watched with a smile as Kagome's brother tackled her down and hugged her tightly. "Don't scare me and mama like that ever again!" he scolded.

Kagome pried him off and frowned. "Can everyone stop attacking me, please?"

Everyone smiled at her annoyed expression and Rae lead Koga and Kagome into the kitchen, sitting them down at the table. "You two relax, I'll make you some ramen."

"Mama, can we have something else?" Kagome asked with a pained look.

"All right…… I'll whip something up." Souta stood curiously next to Koga and poked at his furs.

"What are you supposed to be?" he asked, still prodding at Koga's armor.

"I'm Koga and you're a rude little brat," he growled, pulling away from the boy's hands.

"Be nice," Kagome warned.

"You sound like Inuyasha," Souta said happily, "are you two related?"

"Hardly," Koga scoffed, "that mutt is a much lesser breed with barely any intelligence."

"Koga," Kagome frowned, "don't tell Souta things like that." She turned to Souta with a smile. "Inuyasha and Koga don't really get along very well."

"How come?" he asked, looking to Koga.

"The stupid mutt seems to think he deserves Kagome when he clearly doesn't."

"Well, she likes Inuyasha. Who else would better deserve her?" Souta inquired. Koga's face reddened and he shrugged, shooing Souta away.

"It doesn't matter. Kagome can choose for herself."

Souta shook his head and went back in the living room to get his game.

"_Who_ deserves me, Koga?" Kagome teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Anyone, but him," he snarled, clenching his fist angrily. "I'll never let that fleabag near you again!" Kagome placed a hand over his and squeezed it gratefully.

"Lunch is ready," Rae announced, setting plates on the table, "come on, Souta! Food's ready!" Souta came running back in and dropped into a chair.

"Smells great, mom. Pass a plate over here." Rae served food onto everyone's plates and they all dug in.

"Mmmmm, it's really good," Koga mumbled through a mouthful of food.

"Thank you," Rae smiled, "it's nice to see that someone here has manners." Souta and Kagome both shrugged nonchalantly and continued to eat. She watched her daughter fondly for a moment and wondered when she had become so grown up. "Sweetheart, what are you plans now?" she asked, taking another bite of food.

"I'm not sure yet, mama," Kagome frowned, "but I think I'm going to stay with Koga for a couple weeks. I'm sure he'll keep me safe and I can continue looking for shards at the same time."

"You're leaving already?" Souta pouted, "but you just got back."

"Souta, you can't pull that face and expect me to stay," she smiled at her little brother, "I have commitments to people in the past and I have to fulfil my promises before I can stay here permanently. I was thinking I might bring Koga back to stay for a while once this is all over. If that's okay with him, of course."

"How could I pass up an offer like that?" he smiled, putting a hand over hers, causing her cheeks to redden. Her mother smiled knowingly and stood to clear her plate.

"Well, I'd like it if you two could stay for a little while longer. We could watch some old family movies I found a few days ago."

"Mom," Kagome groaned, "I don't want to be embarrassed right now."

"Aw come on, sis, they're cute," Souta grinned. Kagome started to protest again, but Rae had already herded them into the living room. She sat the three kids on the couch and went to the movie cupboard with a grin.

"Hmm, which one should we watch? There's Kagome's first steps…..Kagome and daddy when she's learning how to eat with a spoon all by herself…"

Kagome could feel her cheeks beginning to burn as her mother listed of more and more embarrassing titles and Koga's ears seemed to perk up with interest. He had never thought much about Kagome as a child, but the thought of seeing her in her most vulnerable stage strangely intrigued him.

"I….wouldn't mind her first steps….," Koga smiled sheepishly, ignoring the surprised look Kagome sent his way.

"That's a start," Rae winked, selecting the one Koga had mentioned and popping it into the vcr. The screen lit up with a smiling young Kagome crawling into view. A proud looking young man held his arms out to her and laughed in delight when his little girl wobbled to her feet and cooed at him.

"Come on sweety, come to daddy. Mommy wants to see you walk." The camera followed her every move as she struggled forward and tipped wobbly, falling to the carpet again. "Dear, leave the camera on the stand and come over here," the man urged, looking at the camera with a handsome smile.

Kagome's mom, looking quite a bit younger, shyly came over to her husband and grinned at their little girl. "Oh honey, she's getting so big. Soon we'll have crowds of boys over here begging to take her out." They laughed together at that and he slipped his arm around his wife, squeezing gently.

Little Kagome had managed to pull herself up again and was stubbornly letting one foot fall in front of the other, giggling at her parent's expression when she finally collapsed into their arms. "What a big girl you are!" the man exclaimed, "look at you go! Next you'll be running off with my car." Both parents laughed again and Rae got up to turn off the camera. The screen went fuzzy and Rae wiped at her eyes quickly as she ejected the tape and returned it to its case.

"Mama……..," Kagome trailed off, "I've never seen that tape before. When did daddy and you take that?"

"You were almost one," Rae said quietly, smiling over at her daughter, "we….we were so proud…"

"I think we've seen enough movies, right Sota?" Kagome remarked quickly, elbowing her brother.

"But we've only seen one…ow!" He winced and rubbed his side. Seeing his mother's tears he finally got Kagome's meaning. "Yah, mama, I think we've seen enough for today."

"I need to go get something from upstairs…," she said quietly, excusing herself from the room.

"Is she all right?" Koga asked with concern, watching Kagome's mother slowly make her way up the stairs.

"She always gets this way when we talk about my dad," Kagome sighed sadly, "then she goes to be alone for awhile."

"What happened to your father?"

"He……..he's dead. But, let's not talk about this, okay?" Koga could see tears in Kagome's eyes too and nodded respectfully.

"I'm sorry. That was an inconsiderate thing of me to ask you. It's none of my business." The room was filled with an uncomfortable silence and Kagome leaned back against him with a shuddery sigh. His arms hesitantly closed around her in a gentle hug and he leaned his cheek on the top of her head. "Is it nice growing up with parents?" Koga asked quietly.

"I don't know how I could survive without my mom," Kagome nodded truthfully, "the feudal world is so different from now. Everyone there has to be tough and pretend life doesn't hurt them, just to survive. Kids grow up without dads all the time. It's no big deal…." Another sigh escaped from her lips and he took one of her hands in his, stroking it gently with his fingers. "When you grow up with luxury, it's hard to let go of….I just want him back….."

She leaned to the side to look up at Koga, who had remained silent the whole time. "Life isn't very fair to you, Kagome….," he whispered, his hand trailing along hers, "why does everything bad seem to happen to you? I think you deserve to be happy. You deserve it more then most…."

"Thank you," she smiled, leaning closer instinctively. His face was only a few inches away, his soft breath colliding with her cheek. A shiver went through her as they sat, almost touching, and he gazed down into her eyes. He licked his lips nervously, knowing if he leaned forward even the slightest bit that they would touch hers. He could smell her enticing scent, urging him to move, to do what he wanted. He just couldn't bring himself to do that to her.

"Koga…," she murmured, not taking her eyes away from his.

"Mmm?"

"I…………about us….I mean….." His arm slid up her back and she felt so warm and safe it was hard to think of it as wrong. "I don't know what I'm trying to say….," she admitted softly, enjoying his gentle touch. She had never really seen Koga in this light before. A warm feeling spread over her as they hovered, millimeters apart, him gazing down into her eyes with a smile that caused her pulse to quicken. His light breath blew gently over her lips and she could feel her hands starting to shake.

"Kagome….," he breathed, clearly torn between moving forward and moving away.

"Kagome! Phone!" Souta's voice yelled from the kitchen, startling her out of her stupor.

"I'm coming!" she called back, climbing awkwardly off of the couch and leaving Koga alone in the living room. Her heart was pounding crazily in her chest and she rubbed at her face to rid it of the deep blush that seemed to be a permanent feature. What had she been about to do?

"Hello?" she spoke, putting the phone to her ear.

"Kagome?" a soft, masculine voice spoke.

"Speaking."

"It's me. Hojo."

"Hey Hojo!" she said brightly, leaning back against the counter, "what's going on? How are you?"

"I'm fine," he said with a hint of a smile in his voice, "but I'll calling to check on you. You've been sick for longer then usual and I was getting concerned. Should I bring you over some herbs or healing salve for the sores?"

"S-Sores?" Kagome trailed off, "uh….actually I'm feeling much better today. I may even be well enough to stay out of bed."

"That's great! So I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

"If I stay well, Hojo. Thanks again for phoning me though. It's nice to know people care."

His voice softened into almost a whisper on the other end. "Who wouldn't care about you?"

"Good question," she laughed nervously, "but I should go now. Talk to you later Hojo."

"Get well Kagome. You are missed."

"Bye."

"Farewell," he spoke, a click following his goodbye.

_Thank god for telephones_, Kagome thought, breathing a sigh of relief and dropping into one of the kitchen chairs. Who know what might have happened if Hojo hadn't phoned…..

And soon she'd be alone with Koga again. One night and she'd have to be back in the feudal era…….. One night at home. And Souta and her mom were both occupied with other things. It was kind of strange having Koga there, though. Where on earth was he going to sleep?

"Koga?" she called.

"Yes, Kagome?" he replied, walking into the kitchen.

"I…..uh….," she paused, getting lost in his eyes momentarily, "I……yes. Here…..follow me for a sec." She managed to tear her eyes away from his and lead him to her quaint abode. "This is where you'll be spending the night," she gestured, sweeping a hand across the room.

"Isn't this your room?" he inquired, breathing in the pleasant scent of Kagome. "I can't sleep here. Where will you go?"

"I'll have the couch. It's fine. You're my guest and I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable."

"I refuse. I'm very honored you'd give up your bed for me, but it just wouldn't be right…" He bit his lip thoughtfully and shifted his gaze to his pretty friend. "A few furs on the floor should do the trick. I'm used to my cave, remember?"

"Blankets are what we have," she grinned, "I'll go grab some." She hurried to the linen closet and grabbed a few blankets and an extra pillow, her heart beat quickening at the thought of Koga sleeping in her room. She hugged the blankets to herself as she made her way back into the room, watching Koga roaming slowly through her room, gazing at all her trinkets and pictures.

"Here you go," she said softly, startling the wolf youkai.

"T-Thank you," Koga smiled, turning around and taking the blankets and pillow from her, "where should I set up camp?"

"Wherever," Kagome shrugged, sitting on the edge of her bed. Her eyes followed his muscular form as he bent and laid the blankets down, tucking them into a bed shaped mass of blankets. What a short time ago it had been that Inuyasha would've been in his place, smiling that certain smile when he thought she wasn't watching. The twinge of pain bit at her heart again. She glanced up at Koga, who was silently gazing out the window, laying on his makeshift bed. She knew the silence between them wasn't exactly comfortable at the moment, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. These strange feelings for him were new and scared her. It was easier to say nothing, then struggle to find something to say.

Her eyes were on him. He felt it. Koga willed his cheeks not to blush and continued to stare out the window. Neither had brought up the close call in the living room, but questions were at the tip of his tongue, struggling to be heard. Had she been about to kiss him? Was she beginning to see him the way he had seen her all this time? More and more questions were bitten back until a quiet whimper escaped, his fangs digging sharply into lip.

"Koga? Are you okay?" Kagome asked with concern, going over to him.

"Please, Kagome. I can't take this torture much longer."

"Torture?" Her eyes widened and she stopped where she was. "How are you being tortured?"

"The smiles, the looks, the hugs, the almost-kisses. I guess I just can't stand the not knowing. You seem so interested in me sometimes and then suddenly it's like you don't even want to be near me. I may be a demon, but my heart can only take so much……"

Her soft lips were parted slightly in an "o" of shock. Such a bold statement from Koga. His adoration was obvious throughout the time she had known him, but he'd never dared to put her on the spot about how she felt in return. How did she feel?

"But…….I-Inuyasha……..," she stammered, burying her face in her hands. Her face burned from shame and embarrassment.

He instantly felt bad. Stupid, selfish youkai! Why did he have to want her so badly? "Kagome, I'm sorry," he sighed, getting up and placing a hesitant hand on her shoulder. "I just hate not knowing how you really feel."

"I feel something for you. That much I know….., but…..Koga….I don't want you to be a rebound."

He quirked an eyebrow, not understanding the word. "Rebound?"

"It's when you think you like someone new right after being rejected or hurt by someone you loved very much. You just rebound on them because you need to feel wanted and loved."

"I'll want you and love you….," Koga whispered softly.

"But you'll get hurt," she objected, "if it is a rebound, I'll get over you quite fast."

He smiled at her warmly and ran his hand gently over her cheek. "It will be worth it…."

"Koga…..," she trailed off, tearing her gaze from his and biting her lip.

"Just let me try something. It will tell me if what you say is true."

"Try what?"

"Just trust me," he murmured, leaning in and brushing his lips against hers. She jerked back and he slid his hand behind her neck, gently pulling her back. "Trust me." She closed her eyes as he leaned in again, slowly moving his lips over hers until she responded. He wasn't passionate and demanding like Inuyasha, his kisses held a certain gentleness and care that brought tears to her eyes.

"Koga, stop," she mumbled, pushing on his chest lightly.

He opened his eyes and watched her intently, a slight smile appearing on his lips. "Even if you deny it, there was no lie in your kiss."

"I have to pee," she blurted out, standing and hurrying out of the room. She couldn't handle this. Everything was too much for her since the day Inuyasha…. Locking the door behind her, she leaned back against the door and cried. Cried for her mother, cried for Koga, cried for herself. So much pain and sadness. It just wasn't fair.

:-:

"Sango, it's getting dark. We should head back."

Sango glanced back at Miroku, sighing at his weary expression. She had the feeling they were getting close to Inuyasha and didn't want to give up just yet. "Please, just a bit further. I have….a feeling. I think we're close."

"As you did yesterday and the day before and the day before that," he remarked in a very out of character, annoyed tone.

"Please," she pleaded, "I hate to think of him spending another night alone out here." Miroku looked away from her, wishing she wouldn't make him sound so heartless. "What if I was lost out here?" Sango asked softly, "would you give up so easily?"

"Fine," he gave in, "lead on."

Touching his tense shoulder gratefully, Sango gave it a squeeze and smiled when he looked at her. "Thank you. I promise. Only a little while longer and then we can head back."

He nodded slightly, closing his hand over hers and entwining their fingers. "I should want to find him as much as you. I apologize for my anger."

Walking on, hand in hand, Sango continued to call softly for their lost hanyou friend. She knew he was somewhere in the forest, alone and probably unstable and shaken from the loss of the woman he loved so dearly. They had to find him tonight, before it was too late…. "What if he's…….," she whispered, "what if he's…..not okay?"

"He won't die so easily, Sango. At least the Inuyasha I know wouldn't. I just hope that once we find him, a little happiness can be restored into everyone's lives. Too much sadness has come to pass in the last few weeks."

"It has," she agreed, "life has been hard on our little group."

Silence fell over them as they were lost in thought and Sango almost didn't hear the weak groan to the left. "What was that?" she jumped, tightening her grip on Miroku's hand.

He shrugged and released her hand. "I didn't hear anything."

"Over there," she pointed, "come on." Running through the surrounding brush, they broke out into a small clearing, well hidden in the trees. Near the middle was a red lump of cloth with silvery hair splayed out all around it. "Inuyasha," Sango cried, dropping to his side weakly. "Inuyasha, are you alright!"

He groaned again, fainter then before and opened his eyes slowly to look up at the demon slayer. "Just let me die. Please. I've had it with this life."

Frowning angrily at him, Sango slid an arm under his back and lifted him to a sitting position. "After all the trouble we just went through to find you, there's no way I'm letting you die. I know you're hurting. We all miss Kagome greatly, but you can't just mope around and give up on life. There are still shards to find, enemies to defeat, Naraku to destroy. Do you think Kagome would want us to let the feudal era be over-run by evil just because she passed away?"

"No….," he mumbled, leaning into her embrace, "but I just…..miss her so much….."

"We all do," Sango whispered, stroking his hair, "we all do." Miroku came to her side, and sat cross-legged beside them, putting an arm around Sango. They all held each other tightly, Inuyasha quiet sobs muffled by Sango's shirt, until at last he was able to calm down. She felt his body still and pulled her hand away from his hair, shifting him enough to see his face.

"It will be all right now, Inuyasha. We still have each other."

**THISISTHESTUPIDLINESEPARATINGTHEFICANDTHEAUTHORSNOTES**

Author: I wasn't quite ready to end that chapter, but since I've made you all wait a reeeeeeally long time for this update, I decided that I'd better do it now, _before_ all the angry mobs hunt me down with torches and pitchforks.

Sephiroth: Hey, your writing isn't _that_ good.

Author; :glares: No one was asking you, now were they? Be a good boy and go take a long walk off a short pier.

Sephiroth; :pouts and leaves: Yes mistress.

Author: Man am I tired. At least I'm not sick anymore. :smacks a hand to her forehead: Oh no! Every time I say that I get sick again. :sighs: Well I'm gonna go easy with the random insanity this chapter since I need to get back to working and studying, but my other three fics should be updated soon. Until then, bai bai! (and enjoy the free refreshments in the lounge)

Sephiroth: And I'm doing pole dancing!

Author;:cringes: Like I said…….enjoy……


	14. Ch14: Found

Author; Well, the long awaited chapter has finally arrived. Funny thing actually, I went to go and post chapter thirteen and to my surprise, I had already posted it and had reviews….. I guess I got so used to writing that chapter and reading it over that I forgot it was done :P Anyway, I wrote this chapter and I hope to finish my other two as well. Almost done FFVII and Vincent/Tifa.

Sephiroth; God, this woman is so lazy since she's always working on homework.

Author; :raises and eyebrow: And how does that make me lazy?

Sephiroth; CAUSE YOU'RE NEGLECTING ME!

Author; :sighs: I'm sorry, but a career is much more important then you. Even if you are my husband by force.

Sephiroth; :pouts:

Author; Anyway, back to what I was saying before. It's been a really really long time since I updated so I'm going to quickly make some brief comments to reviews and then let you guys read. :P

mewmiki – I must say, the all capitals does make a angry looking review. Sorry that I make all these bad things happen, but if I didn't keep you interested then who would want to keep reading my boring fic? At least you think I'm a good author, even if I'm a meanie. :P Thank you for those kind words at least. I hope this chapter will cheer you up some.

whisper in the dark - :sighs heavily: I would like to apologize to all my readers and thank you, whisper, for pointing out the obvious fact that Koga's eyes are blue and that I am an idiot. :P Seriously, I immediately looked up a picture of him and went "…….dammit! baka baka baka!" while beating myself repeatedly. I don't know if I'll go back and fix that, but I do promise to keep his eyes the correct colour from now on. Don't ask where brown came from, I don't know. lol. I'd also like to thank you for being the first reviewer not to curse at me for the "apparent" Koga and Kagome pairing. I'm not saying it's going to happen, just thanking you for not swearing and hating me for the possibility.

Usagi – All your questions and more will be answered soon, but not here. What kind of author would I be if I gave that all away before you even read it:huggles: Thanks for the review and I hope this chapter will answer some of those questions.

DarkPriestess2454 – Again, I am not allowed to answer those questions. Even if you pull big anime puppy dog eyes, you just have to go and read my friend! I'm trying to finish the story, and sorry for my slowness. University slows my writing down a lot. :cries: Hopefully this chapter makes up for it.

Lord Kenshkrix – You haven't been sick in years! Lucky duck. I tend to get sick when the weather changes and not from questionable beverages like you. ;) Updates are good, but I bet you guys get tired of the long breaks in between. Because of that, I'm going to post a question once these reviews are done, since I'm not sure if everyone reads this part. Thank you for the kind review and the idea.

dragonham – What kind of review is that? I can't tell you if Kagome and Koga are together and if you don't like where the fic seems to be going, simply don't bother reading it and seeing the outcome of this big mess. Things seem to work out in the end, but questioning the author makes them want to do things you don't like…… ;) Thank you for the review anyway though, every last one helps.

Mr. Flames - :gasps: You swore! Lol. But yes, Tai is a jerk and he should suffer and die. Overall, it was a sad chapter for bad things happening and things going wrong. Hopefully everything will work out for the best. As for where Kagome's grandpa is….uh….he went to an artifact and runes convention where everyone shows off their magic stuff…..yes….. :shifty eyes:P He's not there, okay! Now shush. Thanks for the review my strange friend and review again for this chapter! Or else…. :brandishes dagger:

Sachichan16 – Oh god, if Inuyasha ever became an emo, I would kill him myself! Lol. I can't stand their "oh the world hates me, everyone wants me to die," attitude. Take some prozac already! Some people have real problems…. But I'll shutup now. I can't promise anything but I'll try to satisfy your requests. Yay! I'm on a favourites list:dances and huggles sachi: Thank you! I hope to hear more from you next chapter.

Inu-yashas-Angel-Kagome – You forgot the name of the story:cries: Am I that forgettable:P Well I forgive you, at least you read and reviewed eventually. I'll try to keep up the good work with this chapter, so go read, review and let me know how I did! Arigato!

Author; Whew, that was a mouthful. All right, we're almost to the chapter now guys, I just want to post a question here for everyone to consider (and answer in their reviews). Should I write shorter chapters that get posted faster, or continue with the long, beefy, well rounded ones? If I do make shorter chapters then again, they will be up more quickly but they might not be as good. Your guy's call. Please let me know. Now, enjoy!

**THISISTHESTUPIDLINESEPARATINGTHEFICANDTHEAUTHORSNOTES**

"Kagome, open the door!" Koga pleaded for the hundredth time, leaning against the confounded piece of wood separating them. "Kagome, please, you can't stay in there forever." He could hear slight movements on the other side, jumping back from the door as it opened and a tear-stained face appeared in the opening.

"Can't you let me suffer in peace?" Kagome asked softly, tears still evident in the shakiness of her voice.

"Am I really that terrible of a kisser?" he sighed, pushing the door gently to let himself inside the bathroom with her. Her face went red at his question and he came forward, engulfing her in a fierce hug. "Whether you want me or not, Kagome, don't think that you ever have to hide from me. I can take whatever answer you choose to give."

Her beautiful face looked up into his and she bit her lip nervously, considering her options. How long was she going to let Inuyasha haunt her thoughts and dreams? He had certainly forgotten about her….. She couldn't run away again and Koga clearly wasn't going to be angry if she said no to his advances. She couldn't completely deny that she enjoyed them either. "I may……give you a chance," she said in almost a whisper. Koga scooped her up into his arm and laughed joyfully, spinning her around until she laughed too. "I didn't say yes!" she protested, now smiling.

"It's still the most wonderful answer I've ever received," Koga grinned happily, "and I can dream that one day it may grow into a yes……maybe more?"

Sighing and shaking her head Kagome went passed him back to her room, a smile still playing on her lips. Koga caught her before she was even through her door and kissed her deeply, a soft, gentle gesture that made her pulse race. "Koga, you have to stop doing that," she gasped, pushing him back gently with a hand.

"It's that bad?" he teased again, wanting to never stop kissing Kagome again.

"It's not the quality, it's the quantity," Kagome smiled, "I need to be able to walk from one room to the next without being bombarded by youkai kisses."

"As you wish," Koga bowed, letting her pass. He felt like pouncing on her and ravishing her until she begged him to stop. Luckily, he'd always had fairly good control over himself. Hugging her from behind he could hear Kagome sigh again.

"What did I just say?" she asked, turning in his arms with a mock-annoyed expression.

"No kisses?" Koga repeated innocently, leaning down until their lips were inches apart.

"That I did…," Kagome murmured, closing her eyes as his spicy scent washed over her. "But maybe just one might be okay….right?"

"Most definitely," he agreed, kissing her yet again.

"Get a room," Souta muttered in a disgusted voice as he went past them, "some people still need to eat around here." Kagome broke away from Koga breathlessly and pulled him into her room, pushing him down onto his makeshift bed and then sitting on hers.

"We need to be apart so I can think clearly for a minute," she explained, seeing his confused expression.

"Why apart?" he smiled, wanting to take her back into his arms again.

"So you can't distract me," Kagome replied, raising an eyebrow. She let her eyes wander over his handsome face as she tried to figure out what her next step should be. Her family was happy to have her there for awhile but she still felt heavy guilt at not letting Sango and the others know where she was. Perhaps Inuyasha had told them his own version of why she was gone. That idea made the hair on the back of her neck stand up as she gritted her teeth. Her feudal era friends deserved the truth and it was up to her to tell them.

"Are you all right?" Koga asked, looking at her with concern. Her eyes were cold and angry and her hands were clenched into fists.

"Y-Yes," she nodded, focusing on Koga to help her anger fade away, "just remembering." He kissed her forehead and sat back on his bed again.

"I need to go to Kaede's village when we go back," Kagome spoke aloud, more to herself then Koga.

"I'll go with you," Koga nodded, unable to resist coming to sit beside her.

"You don't like being away for long do you?" Kagome giggled, pushing him away from her.

"Especially not now," he agreed, nuzzling into her neck, "I've waited so long, so unbelievably long, to be allowed to hold you in my arms."

"Enough!" Kagome laughed, holding him at arms length. "I'm going to lock you in a different room in a minute!" Koga smirked, but moved away, behaving himself for her sake.

"If you weren't so attractive to me then I wouldn't have this problem," he sighed, laying back on the blankets that made up his bed.

"Well tomorrow I think we should go back and talk to Sango and Miroku," she decided, ignoring his comment, "I don't want them to hear about me from Inuyasha." Her eyes went dark as she said his name. "I can't just hide from the world anymore. I have to be strong. And I think I can be….with you by my side." She smiled up at Koga. His breath was taken away by the way she was looking at him. Her eyes sparkled with trust and love and her cheeks were flushed ever so slightly, making him want to kiss her again and never let her go. "That you for helping me be strong Koga."

"You're strong on your own too," he nodded, "and don't you forget it." Their eyes locked and they gazed at each other until Souta cleared his throat at the doorway.

"Mom wants us to come shopping with her and find some stuff for Koga," he announced, looking excited.

"We'll be down in a minute," Kagome nodded, "thanks Souta." Her brother stood in the doorway with a smirk and didn't move. "THANKS Souta!" she yelled, throwing a pillow at him. His smirk grew and he headed downstairs.

"Mom! They're too busy kissing! Can you tell them to hurry up?" Kagome's face went crimson and she ran downstairs, shrieking murderous things at Souta.

After attempted strangulation and some peacemaking, they finally managed to get the four of them into the car and ready to go. "You know that Koga and I are leaving tomorrow, right mom?" Kagome asked, wondering why her mother would feel the need to get him modern day clothes.

"Yes, but I thought it might be smart to have some on hand for when you two come back again…." She looked up at her mom's teasing expression and realized she must really want Koga to be a part of Kagome's life.

The rest of the day was spent in store after store, forcing Koga into pants and shirts and various other garments that he protested against heavily. "Have some dignity," Kagome giggled, "even Inuyasha managed to look good in these things." Koga struggled as Kagome's mother pulled another shirt over his head. Kagome couldn't help staring at Koga. In regular clothes he looked so normal….and hot!

"That looks really good," she murmured, practically drooling at his feet. Koga smiled and decided the clothes might not be so bad after all.

"Was it really that bad?" Kagome asked, watching Koga from her bed as he practiced putting on and taking off his pajama shirt.

"It was worth it to have you look at me like that," he smirked, pulling the shirt down over his chiseled body.

"And how was I looking at you?" she huffed, feeling embarrassed. Koga wordlessly gazed at her, his look telling her how beautiful she was in his eyes. A blush crept up her cheeks and she looked away. "I see….."

Koga slid himself under a layer of blankets. "But perhaps it's time for bed. You want to get up early to go and I don't want you all tired out."

"Yes, dad," she rolled her eyes. Koga left the blankets and came over to her bed, kissing her tenderly and pulling the blankets over her small body.

"Not dad, but forever protector. I'll always look out for you my koishii….." Kagome blushed again at the name and kissed his cheek.

"We should really get to sleep now," she smiled, laying back with Koga's arms still around her. He hugged her possessively and didn't move. "Get out of my bed," she laughed, pushing him onto the floor. Pouting, Koga climbed back under his blanket. "Goodnight," Kagome whispered, turning out the light.

"Oyasumi," Koga murmured, almost asleep already.

Kagome's slept deeply that night, not even dreaming as she usually did. She slept through her alarm and didn't awaken until streams of sunlight pierced her eyelids and she groggily rolled over. Or tried to. Blinking quickly, she focused on a furry lump next to her with an arm draped over her stomach. "KOGA!" she shrieked, waking him with a start. "What are you doing in my bed!"

"I…..," he yawned, "I was waking you up when you're alarm went off…."

"Good job," she muttered, getting up and pulling open drawers to hide her embarrassment.

"I must've fallen asleep," he said sheepishly, watching with interest as she pulled out a pair of black pants and a red top. She apparently had other garments then her uniform.

"Well I'm going to go have a shower and get dressed. You should go get something to eat so we can go once I'm ready." She eyed his attire. "And it's up to you, but I don't think you want to go back to the feudal era in pajamas." She giggled as Koga remembered what he was wearing and she left him to go get ready.

The warm water felt so good as she stepped into the shower, letting it run down her as she blindly felt for the soap. She lathered up her body and let her thoughts drift to Koga. Was she welcoming of all these new developments? Her heart still longed after Inuyasha, which was one reason she had been reluctant to let Koga get close.

_I still love him_, she thought in disgust, _he hurt me, broke my heart, betrayed me and only pretended to love me and I still love him!_ She finished up and climbed out of the shower with a heavy heart. How readily would she take Inuyasha back, even knowing he had tricked her? What was wrong with her?

Koga grinned as Kagome re-entered the room, sweet smelling and beautiful. "Your mom packed us a basket of food," he smiled, wondering at the sadness in her eyes, "you can eat after we go there if you want."

"I think that's a good idea," she nodded, still not looking up at him, "I just need to say goodbye and then we can head out." The familiar house always made her feel safe. She smiled at all the portraits of her and Souta hung on the walls. Her mom really cared about them. "Mama!" she called, "we're leaving now! I wanted to say bye."

Her mother swept out of the kitchen, smelling floury from her baking. "I hope you come back and visit more often this time," she said, raising an eyebrow at Kagome before engulfing her in a hug. "I'm not a young woman anymore and I don't want to miss my children growing up into parents of their own." Kagome blushed and kissed her mother's cheek, smiling when Souta came running to wrap his arms around Kagome's back as well.

"Thank you for always loving me, no matter what," Kagome said tearfully to her family.

"Go now," her mother shooed, wiping her eyes, "we'll see you soon."

"I love you guys," Kagome called, meeting up with Koga at the door, "I'll try to come back in a few days!"

She almost couldn't bare to leave them again, feeling nervous about going to see Sango and Miroku and Shippo. Would they ever forgive her for staying away so long? As Koga held her and they both jumped into the well, she sent out a prayer that they'd welcome her back.

:-:

Sango and Miroku were both watching as Inuyasha angrily sliced and destroyed the small group of demons that had taken Kaede's village by surprise. "He's certainly putting his heart and soul into that," Miroku observed, finding Sango's hand with his and squeezing lightly. She nodded sadly and continued to observe the hanyou. The day was windy and cold, reflecting their somber moods. Miroku kissed her cheek softly and went to stop Inuyasha who was repeatedly stabbing the ground where the mangled pieces of demon lay.

"Lunch?" Sango asked the two men as they walked back into the village, "I can make some ramen…." She knew as soon as the words had left her mouth that it was a mistake. Inuyasha's eyes filled with tears and he veered off in a different direction, away from them. "I'm so stupid," she cursed herself, glad for Miroku's comforting arm around her waist. "And he hasn't eaten since we found him."

"Perhaps he needs a task to bring some life back to him. A purpose. Should he tell Kagome's family what has come to pass?"

Sango's eyes lit up as she looked to Miroku. "Yes! We'll send him through the well to inform her family. Maybe being there will finally make him realize she's not coming back. He'll have some closure."

"Then it is decided," Miroku nodded, going after the sad hanyou. Sango sighed heavily, thinking of all the happiness that used to be in their lives. When Kagome had been around everything had seemed just that much better. Could they really gather the rest of the shards without her?

"Sango!" Shippo's little voice called, "Sango, Kagome's back! She's here!" Sango heart almost stopped as she watched the kitsune fly towards her and hug tightly to her leg, tugging. "Come on! She's here! Kagome is here!" Tears came to her eyes when she realized this must be how he was dealing with the loss of his adopted mother.

"Okay Shippo," she agreed sadly, "I'll come and see her."

:-:

Miroku caught up with Inuyasha easily and put a friendly arm around his shoulder. "Inuyasha……we have something we'd like you to do," he mentioned, waiting for his friend to wipe the tears from his eyes and compose himself.

"What now?" Inuyasha muttered, "kill another lousy group of defenseless demons? Let someone else I love die?"

"Tell Kagome's family what has taken place in our time," Miroku corrected him, "you should still be able to pass through the well and they have a right to know their daughter has gone on to the afterlife."

"Me tell them!" he growled, "why so they can blame me for all the terrible things that happened to her! HUH! IS THAT IT!"

"Inuyasha, calm down," the monk ordered, taking a step back, "Sango and I think it will help you find the closure you need to forgive yourself for Kagome's death."

"Whatever, I'll do it," he spat, "but don't expect me to come back after!" A red blur shot past Miroku and was gone before he could say another word. Sango came running, out of breath, a moment later.

"Miroku, there's trouble. I think it may be a demon," Sango gasped out, "Shippo thinks it's Kagome and I can't convince his otherwise." Miroku grabbed her hand and they both ran, Sango leading him to where Shippo was hugging a girl that looked exactly like Kagome.

"My god," he gasped, horrified, "what demon would be so sickeningly cruel to Shippo?"

"Show yourself, imposter," Sango ordered, stepping into Kagome's view and holding her weapon out menacingly.

"Sango!" she grinned widely, placing Shippo down and hurrying to her friend. She slowed when Sango didn't lower her weapon. Her face fell and when she looked up again there was a deep anger burning in her eyes. "What exactly did Inuyasha tell you?" she demanded, clenching her fists, "I bet he told you _I_ left _him_ and that Kikyo was there to comfort him cause I'm such a horrible friend! I didn't abandon you guys….I just couldn't bare to see that stupid mutt ever again…" A tear rolled down her cheek and Sango's boomerang lowered slightly.

"But Kagome," Miroku said softly, "you're dead…."

"What!" she cried, "what do you mean _dead_!" Koga couldn't stand hiding any longer and came out where they could see him, wrapping his arms around Kagome.

"Calm down," he murmured in her ear, "it seems they've been tricked."

"Koga?" Shippo squeaked, staring at him, "did you steal Kagome?"

"Hardly," he growled, "after mutt face broke her heart I let her stay with my pack and recover from the betrayal. He obviously didn't see what I see in this beautiful, smart girl."

Sango dropped her weapon, swaying a little. "Kagome…..," she choked, overwhelmed. Miroku caught her as she fell, unconscious, into his arms.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Kagome asked, eyes widening at Sango's reaction, "you're all acting as if I'm a ghost."

"If you're Kagome then who did we have a funeral for?" Miroku wondered aloud, laying Sango on the ground gently. He came forward, hesitantly touching a hand to her warm cheek. Tears welled up in his eyes and he wrapped his arms around her tightly, "Kagome-sama! Oh Kagome! You've come back to us!" Kagome didn't fully understand why he was crying, but she hugged him in return, glad someone finally believed her. Koga stepped back, glaring at the monk.

"I told you! I told you!" Shippo cried, hugging her leg, "I told you she would never leave us!"

Sango was beginning to come to, shaking her head slowly as she sat up. Miroku went to her side and scooped her up, bridal style. "It _is_ her," he smiled, kissing Sango's cheek and then blushing crimson as he realized the other three were watching.

"What have I missed?" Kagome wondered aloud, smiling none-the-less at the blushing couple.

"Oh no!" Miroku said suddenly, placing Sango on her feet, "Inuyasha!"

"What about him?" Kagome muttered, "he took off on you guys too?"

Sango and Miroku gave each other strange looks before he answered the young miko. "He went to inform your family of your death."

"HE WHAT!" she cried, dropping her bag, "HE WENT TO TELL MAMA I'M DEAD!" Shippo winced and hugged her leg tighter until she picked him up. "How could he do this?" she growled to herself, "first Kikyo and now he's messing with my family." She shook her head. "It stops now."

"What does?" Sango asked, feeling more confused then when Kagome had walked into the village.

"I have to go back home and stop Inuyasha," she stated, "I'll come back as soon as I've dealt with him. She lowered Shippo to the ground and started off at a jog before anyone could get in a single word edgewise.

"I guess I should go with her," Koga said slowly, eyeing the people watching him.

"She'll be fine," Sango smiled, "everything will be fine now. Stay and have some lunch with us Koga." He started to object, but Sango poured hearty stew from a pot into four bowls and handed them out.

"Thank you," he smiled, inclining his head to Sango, "we hadn't eaten yet."

"There'll be plenty of time for eating when they get back," Sango smiled, "and lots of other celebration. We have our Kagome back!"

"Not to mention _other_ celebrations," Miroku winked at her, "involving vows…." She swatted his arm, laughing good-naturedly and leaned into his embrace.

-:-

Inuyasha paced outside Kagome's doorstep. How was he going to tell this kind woman her only, wonderful daughter was dead? And that it was all his fault? That was the part that ate away at him the most. It was _all_ his fault. He fiercely bit back tears and raised a hand to knock on the door, stopping before he could hit it and resuming his pacing.

"Inuyasha?" Souta asked, looking at him curiously from an open doorway, "Kagome's not here right now."

"I know…," he said softly, almost choking on his words, deciding it was now or never, "is your mom here?"

"Yah," he grinned, "follow me!" The young boy seemed to have no idea that anything was different about Inuyasha. As the saddened hanyou followed him into the kitchen, Souta lost interest and ran to play his gameboy.

"Good morning Inuyasha," Mrs. Higurashi smiled over her shoulder, "what brings you here."

'_Tell her,_' he growled to himself, '_you have to tell her!_' "I……," he trailed off, staring at the happy woman with tears in his eyes. How could he tell such a kind, gentle woman that he had let Kagome die? Fresh tears poured down his face and when Kagome's mom looked over at him she dropped the knife she had been cutting with.

"What is it Inuyasha? Oh god, what's happened!" He dropped to his knees burying his face in his hands and she kneeled in front of him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Inuyasha please tell me what's wrong."

"She's gone!" he cried, "all because of me, she's gone!" He pulled his hands away from his face, ashamed of the way he was acting.

"Who…?" she asked, eye-widening. She prayed it wasn't who she thought it was.

"K-Kagome," he whispered, "she's dead…" The woman stared at him in shock, not wanting to believe the words coming out of his mouth. If he hadn't been sobbing as though his heart was broken and shattered, she might not have believed it.

"How….," she gasped, "no….NO! My baby!" Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her as she started to cry, both mourning the loss of such a wonderful girl. Souta, hearing all the commotion, came into the kitchen and stared at the two.

"W-What's happening?" he asked fearfully, dropping his gameboy and running to hug his mom.

"Your sister….," she gasped out, burying her face in Inuyasha's chest, "oh god, I can't bare to lose another one. She promised me she'd be careful. She said her friends would protect her." Inuyasha's heart broke again hearing the frail woman's words.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, " I couldn't save her…."

"Please leave," Kagome's mom said suddenly, pulling back, "please. I can't take this right now. Come back another day. Please. I need to hear all the details, just…..not now." Inuyasha nodded, standing and wiping his eyes, still shuddering with every breath.

"I shall return next week," he promised, "and you can punish me then for my lack of protection and devotion to your daughter." Mother and son watched him start to leave, holding each other tearfully. Never again would a happy big sister come bounding through the door, raven hair bouncing off her shoulders.

"My baby….," she whispered again, holding Souta as close as humanly possible, "and to think she was healthy and alive this morning…" She only had one person left in the entire world that she loved and could count on. Why was fate so cruel to their little family, taking away the ones they loved? Souta had caught on by now and was weeping in his mother's arms.

"This morning?" Inuyasha said suddenly, stopping in his tracks, "what do you mean this morning!"

"She left with Koga this morning," she said tearfully, "and now my baby girl is gone…"

"KOGA!" he spluttered, spinning to face them, "but she's been dead for days, weeks even!" Mrs. Higurashi stared at him now, wondering at the anger and confusion in his eyes.

"She spent the night here and left this morning," she corrected him, wiping her eyes, "could it be you've made a mistake?"

"I think I have," he growled, "and a certain wolf demon is going to die!" He narrowed his eyes and then noticed hope shining in Mrs. Higurashi's eyes. "I'll be back soon! I'm going to find Kagome!"

-:-

Kagome stormed angrily towards the well. How _dare_ that stupid hanyou go to tell her mom she was dead. Dead! Of all the horrible things he had ever done to her, this was by far the worst. Her mom would no doubt have a heart attack and Souta would be horrified. All for nothing. When she got her hands on him….

"Speak of the devil," she muttered as a red blur shot up from the well, landing in front of her and freezing. She was about to start screaming and sit him into the next century when she noticed the look on his face. The look of fear, disbelief, love, relief, anger and so many other things. Nothing about the way he was looking at her made any sense.

"Inu-" she started, before suddenly he was holding her tightly, weeping as he kissed the side of her head. His kisses moved to her cheek, and then her mouth as he continued to cry, squeezing her as though she might not really be real. She pushed him back a little, gasping and quite put out. "Inuyasha, what are you doing!"

His eyes found hers and the happiest smile she had ever seen lit up his face. "Sit me," he commanded.

"What?" she spluttered, utterly flabbergasted at what was taking place. He stepped back from her.

"Please Kagome," he begged, "sit me."

"Sit….," she said quietly, watching with hidden satisfaction as he crashed to the earth face first. _That was for leaving_, she thought bitterly. "SIT!" His face dug deeper into the earth. _And that was for having the nerve to tell my family I'm dead._

When he was able to, Inuyasha crawled to where she stood. He took her hands in his and kissed them tenderly. He slowly stood, smiling down at her with such love and devotion she felt afraid. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, feeling tears well up in her eyes, "do you enjoy torturing me?"

"I thought you were gone," he whispered, running a hand down her cheek. She wanted to pull away, but something about the way his words sounded so sincere made her stay. He crushed her in another fierce hug, fresh tears running down his face. "Never leave me Kagome. Please, never leave me."

She looked, wide-eyed at the hanyou she had loved so much. He was crying and begging her to stay. _He really believed I was dead_, she realized, _but didn't he go with Kikyo?_ "What about Kikyo?" she whispered, still not returning his embrace.

"What about her? Besides the fact that she's a heartless bitch who deserves to die?" His eyes tinged red at the mention on the dead miko.

"You were with her….," Kagome protested, "you said you loved her. That you had just pretended with me. You hated me!" He growled deeply and placed a hand on her cheek.

"If you truly believed that then Kikyo must have done more to you then I thought." His eyes held sadness now, unable to comprehend how Kagome could fall for such a thing.

"But it was you…," she tried again, trying to find some reason why she should be angry with him, "you spoke to me, it was your voice, your eyes……you…"

"I've been waiting here for you every day since Koga took off after you," Inuyasha said softly, feeling hurt that she had doubted his love, "I couldn't bare the thought of you dying because I came for you, against Kikyo's wishes."

"Inuyasha," she whispered, looking up at him. She reached a hand to touch his face and he kissed it, using his hand to hold hers there.

"My love…..," he whispered back, smiling slightly at her. He wanted nothing more then to kiss her and hold her and never let her go, but he had realized something very wrong had happened to her. He had to let her come to terms with everything first.

"It was all a lie," she said bitterly, hating the evil witch even more now. She slid to the ground, crying for everything she had lost and for all the pain she had endured because of Kikyo's stupid selfishness. Inuyasha bit his lip, hating to see her cry.

"Kagome," she whispered, holding her, "Kagome, it's ok now. We're together. Everything will be okay….."

She nodded like a small child being comforted and Inuyasha kissed her cheek. It was so hard for him not to kiss her all over. He wanted to celebrate the return of his mate. He wanted to _KILL_ Kikyo. "I love you," he smiled, stroking a hand over her hair gently.

"I've wanted to hear that all this time," she cried, holding tightly to him, "despite everything. The pain, hate, Koga……everything. I just wanted you to love me again."

"Koga?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She shook her head, burying her face in his chest. "Can…..can you just hold me?" she murmured tearfully. Inuyasha felt his heart melt at her soft request and scooped her up into his arms, jumping into a nearby tree. She was safely curled in his lap, her head on his chest listening to the gentle beating of his heart. Her own heart was beating almost as quickly as his and she gazed up into his face, his handsome wonderful face.

"I love you Inuyasha."

**THISISTHESTUPIDLINESEPARATINGTHEFICANDTHEAUTHORSNOTES**

Author; Can it be! Inuyasha and Kagome back together?

Sephiroth; :rolls his eyes: Knowing you, you'll probably just find some way to make them hate each other again.

Author; :grins evilly: Too true, too true.

Sephiroth; :sighs happily: But it's all so wonderfully cute!

Author; :backs away slowly: You feeling okay?

Sephiroth; Guess I'm just feeling unloved. :narrows his eyes: Speaking of which…. :pulls Riku out of the closet: Would you like to explain what _HE_ is doing here?

Author; :does her best to smile innocently: I was doing a project on Canada's sexiest men?

Sephiroth; :holds Riku by the collar and shakes him: NO MORE AFFAIRS! YOU HEAR ME!

Author; :glares: Is that a threat?

Sephiroth; :flames in his eyes die as he sees her expression: No……. :smiles sheepishly: I would never threaten you my love.

Author: I didn't think so...

Sephiroth; :slowly inches towards the door of the incinerator room:

Author: Hey! Come back here:glances to the readers: And please review :chases after Sephiroth to save her other lover:


End file.
